STARKVILLE — South Carolina basketball had just started to show signs of life late in the first half. 

Mississippi State had led by 22 points only a few minutes earlier, but the gap shrunk to 15. Any more cuts to the lead, and the Gamecocks would be the ones with momentum entering halftime. That’s when MSU locked it down. 

The Bulldogs finished the half on a 10-0 run in two minutes of game time. All five baskets were layups — three of them off turnovers and on the fast break. Defense was turned to offense. It was a crucial moment in Mississippi State’s 85-50 dismantling of South Carolina (10-4, 0-1 SEC) that got the Humphrey Coliseum crowd on its feet in the SEC opener. 

It also epitomized how No. 16 Mississippi State (13-1, 1-0) can be at its best.  

“When we’re at our best, we’re very active on the ball, we’re handsy and got frenetic activity off the ball,” MSU coach Chris Jans said after the win. “They’re all wired and bought in. And when we are lethargic and not in stances, which obviously we’ve done a ton this particular season, we’re just getting exposed. And so hopefully this will make them feel good about what we’ve been trying to preach to them and get them to buy in even more in this particular group, so we can play that style of basketball.”

Mississippi State self-identified a weakness

There aren’t many stats that indicate the Bulldogs have a weakness except for one: 3-point defense. They entered Saturday’s game allowing 35.5% on 3-pointers, No. 294 in the country. No. 13 UConn was the only other ranked team in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll with a worse mark. 

Jans said Saturday that Mississippi State is at the bottom of the SEC in contesting 3-pointers, and it has been a point of emphasis in the past few weeks. 

MSU’s two other baskets during the 10-0 run came off missed South Carolina 3-pointers. Both of them were contested. 

“I think that just comes down to us wanting to just sacrifice and do what it takes to win,” said Josh Hubbard, who led Mississippi State with 21 points. “It all starts with Jans’ game plan, and we all believe in it. When we have that connectedness and that toughness, it shows on the court.” 

South Carolina made only two 3-pointers on 19 attempts, the fewest Mississippi State has allowed since coach Ben Howland’s last game on March 16, 2022. 

“You hear me say this all the time like a broken record, but it usually goes back to, in that particular possession, to the point of attack, and what we did or didn’t do,” Jans said. “It’s usually a mistake that happens there that maybe doesn’t show up for a pass or two, and then they get a wide-open look. 

“The last three or four games, we’ve been better. Tonight, obviously was really good numbers-wise, but even the other games, we’ve been getting slowly better at it.”

MORE: The stories of why Mississippi State basketball players chose their jersey numbers

Mississippi State’s win vs South Carolina broke records

Mississippi State’s blowout win set two records:

• Largest margin of victory for an SEC game in the Jans era.
• Fewest points allowed in an SEC game in the Jans era.

It was also the second-largest margin of victory in all games in the Jans era, two points behind the 2022 win against South Dakota.

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

The National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center has issued alerts for a major winter storm expected to impact large portions of the US this weekend, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain, and severe weather from Saturday (January 4) through Monday (January 6).

Heavy snow and blizzard conditions

According to the NWS, “Heavy snowfall is expected across areas from central Kansas to Ohio, especially along and north of Interstate 70, with a 60-90% chance of at least 8 inches of snow on Sunday.” The storm could deliver the heaviest snowfall in over a decade for some regions, with blizzard conditions developing over the Central Plains by Sunday morning. Winds exceeding 35 mph combined with heavy snow are likely to create whiteout conditions, making roads impassable and travel hazardous, the NWS forecast noted.

Freezing rain and ice accumulation

The storm will bring significant freezing rain from eastern Kansas and the Ozarks to the Ohio Valley. The NWS warns of “tree damage and power outages likely in areas with over a quarter-inch of ice accumulation.” Additional icing is anticipated overnight Sunday into Monday in the Central Appalachians.

Severe thunderstorms in the South

The Lower Mississippi Valley faces an Enhanced Risk (level 3/5) of severe thunderstorms on Sunday, with the NWS stating that “frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes” are possible as the storm’s cold front advances.

Great lakes and Northeast impacts

The system will also generate heavy lake-effect snow downwind of Lake Ontario through Sunday morning, while moderate snow is expected near the Upper Great Lakes and Lake Erie. By Sunday night into Monday, snow will extend into the northern Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast.

Western US weather

Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest and Northern California will experience coastal rain and higher-elevation snow through Monday due to weak onshore flow and a series of weakening fronts.

The NWS advises residents in affected areas to prepare for severe weather conditions, monitor updates, and avoid travel if possible during peak storm activity.

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) -Funeral plans officially begin Saturday for former President Jimmy Carter.

His motorcade will travel to The Carter Center in Atlanta, where people will start paying their respects. As you hear reflections on his legacy, you may not realize he made a quick trip to Mississippi in 1977.

It’s a visit Mike Espy will never forget.

“I was a second-year law student in a law school in California, and I was home for summer break,” said Espy. “I found out that Jimmy Carter was coming to my hometown, Yazoo City. So, of course, I wanted to be there.”

It would be a limited crowd, but Espy was determined.

“Very hard to get,” he said of the tickets. “So, I bent over backward for trying to get an invitation, and I convinced my mother to intercede for me. And now she got the invitation. I got it from her. And then I went.”

A crowd gathered outside but with that ticket secured, Espy was inside.

“It was held at the brand new Yazoo City Public School, a brand new building,” he said. “It was July in Mississippi. It was extremely hot. I thought that the air conditioning had not yet been installed or it wasn’t on cause it was sweltering in that room.”

A fact not lost on the President as he removed his suit jacket.

“He was just very approachable,” noted Espy. “He just seemed like a common person despite being President of the United States.”

Espy says they surveyed the crowd before Carter arrived to see who wanted to ask a question. He raised his hand but wasn’t asked what that question would be. I asked if he remembered.

“I asked him a question about this new weapon system,” recalled Espy. “And, of course, I was a smart aleck law student. So, I tried to pose a question as a contradiction between a lethal weapon of war and a man of peace, you know, like Jimmy Carter.”

He says Carter answered politely but put him in his place with more information. As Espy has had his own political career both in Congress and President Bill Clinton’s cabinet, he’s never forgotten that experience.

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