Mississippi

Butler earns statement win vs. Mississippi State, claims Arizona Tip-Off title

Published

1 year ago

November 30, 2024

Butler earns statement win vs. Mississippi State, claims Arizona Tip-Off title

Butler played its best game of the season, relying on smothering perimeter defense and shooting the lights out from deep, earning an 87-77 win over Mississippi State and claiming the Arizona Tip-Off championship.

It’s Butler first in-season tournament title since 2019 Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.

Jahmyl Telfort led Butler with 24 points. Pierre Brooks II added 22 points and nine rebounds.

Here are three takeaways from the resume-building win.

Jahmyl Telfort, Pierre Brooks II close out Mississippi State

Butler (6-1) led by as many as 11 points in the second half, but Mississippi State, No. 25 in the AP poll and unbeaten prior to Friday night didn’t go down easy. MSU (6-1) cut Butler’s lead to two with 6:22 left in the game. When Butler needed to respond to MSU’s run it turned to its two best players — Pierre Brooks II and Jahmyl Telfort.

The preseason second team All-Big East selections made all the necessary plays to hold off Mississippi State and seal the victory. The duo scored 11 of Butler’s final 17 points, often finding each other for baskets down the stretch.

Telfort is such a steady presence for the Dawgs. He’s never rattled, never out of control and the poise paid off for Butler. Brooks showed why he led Butler in scoring last season. He’s a deadly shooter from deep and has the strength to finish inside. Telfort and Brooks combined for 46 points, shooting an identical 8-for-15 from the field.

In Telfort and Brooks, Butler has two of the best players in the Big East. When they’re both playing well, expect Butler to hang with every team it faces.

3-ball, corner pocket

After a slow start, Butler found its rhythm from deep, unleashing a 3-point barrage on Mississippi State. Five of Butler’s final eight first-half field goals came from behind the arc. Butler shot 7-for-11 from 3 with five Bulldogs hitting a 3-pointer in the first half. Telfort and Kolby King each hit two.

Butler finished 12-for-22 (55%) from 3.

Butler had particular success driving into the paint and dishing to the corner and left wing for 3-point shots. King hit corner 3s on consecutive possessions in the first half. Brooks, Landon Moore and Telfort all hit triples from the same spot on the left wing. At one point in the first half, five of Butler’s six field goal came off 3-pointers.

Great shooting from behind the arc coupled with good shooting from the free throw line (19-for-27, 70%) is usually the recipe for a win.

Landon Moore has best game of the season

With Finley Bizjack taking over the point guard duties, and freshman Evan Haywood looking like a reliable option at guard, one had to wonder if Landon Moore would be squeezed out of the rotation. Against Mississippi State, Moore showed he’s still a capable role player, putting together his best game of the season.

Moore scored seven of his 13 points in the first half. Despite struggling with his shot all season, Moore looked confident from deep. He dished out two assists and most importantly, he committed just one turnover, something that has plagued him all season.

Moore added multiple strong finishes inside in the second half and shot a strong 6-for-7 from the free throw line. In Moore, King and Andre Screen, Butler has the depth to withstand off nights for any of its starters. Any of the three are capable of scoring double figures off the bench, and all of them have embraced their responsibilities on defense as well.

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Mississippi

Mississippi State baseball, Brian O’Connor 10-0 after Arizona State win

Published

10 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi State baseball, Brian O’Connor 10-0 after Arizona State win

Mississippi State baseball didn’t have a hit through four innings but came through with big fifth and sixth innings to reach 10-0.

The No. 5 Bulldogs defeated Arizona State 8-4 in the first game of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 27.

Gehrig Frei jolted MSU’s offense in the fifth inning when he hit a pinch-hit, three-run home run for a 4-0 lead over the Sun Devils (8-2). MSU then added three more runs in the sixth inning for a 7-1 lead. Aidan Teel homered for a second straight game with a solo home run in the eighth inning.

Mississippi State sophomore Ryan McPherson had the longest start of his career, throwing seven innings with one run allowed, four hits, three walks and five strikeouts.

Watch Mississippi State baseball in Amegy Bank College Baseball Series

Mississippi State baseball vs Arizona State score updates

Dominic Longo and Dominic Smaldino both hit solo home runs in the ninth inning off MSU’s Maddox Miller to cut the score to 8-4.

Centerfielder Aidan Teel led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo home run for an 8-2 lead.

The Sun Devils scored one run in the eighth inning on a PJ Moutzouridis sacrifice fly. It cut Mississippi State’s lead to 7-2.

McPherson is done for the day as MSU’s pitcher after throwing a career long seven innings. He allowed one run with four hits, three walks and five strikeouts.

Chone James hit a two-RBI single, then Reed Stallman also hit an RBI single. Mississippi State is up 7-1 in the sixth inning.

Landon Hairston grounded into a double play to trim MSU’s lead to 4-1 in the sixth inning.

The first pitch thrown by Arizona State reliever Josh Butler was a pinch-hit, three-run home run by Gehrig Frei. MSU leads 4-0 in the fifth inning.

Arizona State starting pitcher Cole Carlon exited in the fifth inning with an apparent cramp after giving up the RBI single to Bryce Chance.

Bryce Chance hit an RBI single for a 1-0 Mississippi State lead in the fifth inning.

There were no hits by either team through four innings. ASU’s Dean Toigo hit a single and so did MSU’s Blake Bevis.

Only one batter has reached base through the first two innings, MSU’s Noah Sullivan via a walk in the first inning. MSU pitcher Ryan McPherson has three strikeouts, while Arizona State pitcher Cole Carlon has five.

The Bulldogs are 9-0 with new coach Brian O’Connor. It’s their best start since they went 13-0 in 2015. However, the Bulldogs had a poor season after that, finishing 24-30.

2B Drew Wyers
3B Ace Reese
DH Noah Sullivan
LF Vytas Valincius
C Chone James
1B Blake Bevis
SS Ryder Woodson
CF Aidan Teel
RF Bryce Chance

The Feb. 27 game between Mississippi State and Arizona State in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series is also streaming for free on YouTube at this link.

Mississippi State vs Arizona State will air on 96.1 FM. It can also be streamed for free on the Mississippi State Hail State app or on the MSU athletics website.

What time does Mississippi State baseball play today?

All games are played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Feb. 27: vs. Arizona State (11 a.m. CT)
Feb. 28: vs. Virginia Tech (3 p.m. CT)
March 1: vs. UCLA (2:30 p.m. CT)

What channel is Mississippi State baseball on today?

All games are streaming on FloCollege. The Feb. 27 game against Arizona State is also streaming for free on YouTube.

Mississippi State starting pitchers in Amegy Bank College Baseball Series

Feb. 27 (vs. Arizona State): RHP Ryan McPherson (2.70 ERA, 1-0) vs. LHP Cole Carlon (2-0, 1.64 ERA)
Feb. 28: (vs. Virginia Tech): LHP Tomas Valincius (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. TBA
March 1 (vs. UCLA): TBA

Mississippi State injury updates

There is no official injury report for this series, though Mississippi State pitcher William Kirk exited his Feb. 24 start with a leg injury.

Mississippi State baseball 2026 schedule

Next five games:

March 3: at Southern Miss
March 6-8: vs. Lipscomb
March 10: vs. Tulane (in Biloxi)

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

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Mississippi

Couple sentenced for selling faulty fire extinguishers to Mississippi daycares, businesses – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

22 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Couple sentenced for selling faulty fire extinguishers to Mississippi daycares, businesses – SuperTalk Mississippi

The Smith County couple who knowingly sold faulty fire alarms to daycares and other commercial businesses across the state will spend time behind bars.

Daniel and Sherri Finnegan, the owners of Finnegan Fire Safety Equipment, entered guilty pleas on Tuesday in connection with the fraud scheme. Daniel Finnegan will spend seven years in prison, while his spouse will be locked up for one year. Officials report that the plea agreements encompass charges filed in both Rankin and Madison counties, where 12 charges have been filed against each defendant stemming from six different cases.

The Finnegans were arrested in Aug. 2024 for selling and installing used fire suppression systems that did not work and were not tested before being placed into service, putting people at risk in the event of fire. The Mississippi Insurance Department reported that the couple targeted minority-owned businesses and owners who had a language barrier.

Originally, the duo was charged with 41 counts each of false pretense, along with 37 counts each of violations of the Mississippi Fire Prevention Code. Despite the pleas entered in Rankin and Madison Counties, the defendants still face an additional 31 fire prevention code violations and 37 false pretense charges that remain pending in 11 other counties.

“The investigation showed that more than $343,000 was paid directly to the couple by confirmed victims. It is important to note that this figure does not represent the full financial impact, as some financial documentation could not be obtained,” a statement from the Mississippi Insurance Department reads. “Furthermore, many victims incurred substantial additional costs to correct and remediate deficient installations and to bring fire protection systems into compliance.”

Restitution ordered for Daniel Finnegan totals $67,853.95, while Sherri Finnegan has to pay out $20,000.

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Mississippi

Former federal attorney faces arson charge after two fires in Fondren

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Former federal attorney faces arson charge after two fires in Fondren

A former federal attorney was arrested and charged with arson for two fires in Jackson, Mississippi.
The fires damaged a building and a dumpster at the Yana Club of Mississippi, a recovery community nonprofit.
The suspect, George McDowell Yoder III, has a history of previous arrests and was suspended from practicing law in 2022.

A former federal attorney was arrested and charged with arson after a building and dumpster were set on fire Friday, Feb. 27, in the Fondren area of Jackson, authorities said.

Jackson Fire Department Chief of Investigations Charles Felton said firefighters responded around 12 a.m. Friday in reference to a reported building fire and dumpster fire at Yana Club of Mississippi located at 555 Hartsfield Street.

Felton said fire crews arrived and found two separate fires in the Fondren neighborhood that caused damage to the Yana Club and the dumpster.

No injuries were reported.

After the fires were extinguished, a fire investigator was called to the scene. Investigators spoke with Capitol Police, who had a suspect detained.

Felton said the Jackson Fire Department Arson Division arrested George McDowell Yoder III, a former federal attorney, and charged him with first-degree arson of Yana Club and third-degree arson of the dumpster.

In 2021, WDAM TV reported Yoder had been a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi from 2009 to 2011. Yoder also ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Mississippi Court of Appeals in 2016.

According to a 2023 article by the Laurel Leader Call, Yoder was arrested in 2021 for residential burglary and faced multiple charges from 2021 to 2023. Yoder was also arrested in 2023 for arson charges, the outlet reported.

Documents from the Supreme Court of Mississippi also indicate that Yoder was admitted to the practice of law in the state in 1999 but later suspended in 2022 from practicing law for three years.

Court records show Yoder was found to be accepting fees from clients, abandoning them and then failing to deposit their retainers into a trust account. Yoder “commingled” his personal money with those of his clients and performed little to no work on a Madison County criminal case he was hired to resolve.

Jackson fire officials also said that a fire did not occur Friday morning at The Pig & Pint, a barbecue business located next to Yana Club.

Yana Club of Mississippi, a nonprofit organization, is described via their Facebook page as a “recovery community” that serves individuals seeking help with addictions.

The organization confirmed at 10:23 a.m. Friday via a social media post that the Yana Club building will be closed due to damages sustained from the fire.

“Due to the safety of our members, we will be closed through the weekend,” the organization stated. “We are working with [the] fire department and insurance to determine the best course of action. The building is currently deemed unsafe for meetings to be held. We will be in touch with updates when we have them.”

Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Have a tip? Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.

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