Mississippi guard Marshall Henderson (22) reacts after a play during an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Southeastern Conference men’s tournament in Atlanta, Thursday, March 13, 2014. (Photo/Ignacio Murillo)
ATLANTA — Ole Miss used a second half comeback to take down Mississippi State 78-66 in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
Marshall Henderson said before the SEC Tournament started that he has been putting up 400 to 500 made threes per day since the regular season ended. He tried to do that in 40 minutes against Mississippi State.
Henderson shot 19 threes, an SEC record for attempted threes. He made seven of them, which is 36.8 percent, better than his season average. And he’s not going to stop shooting until Ole Miss loses.
He was just 3 of 12 from the field in the first half as Mississippi State defended Henderson by playing on top of him, rather than between Henderson and the basket, so Andy Kennedy made an adjustment.
“They were guarding Marshall, which was unconventional, which is what a lot of people do. They were guarding on the opposite side of the basket,” Kennedy said. “Usually people always keep the defender between the guy they’re guarding and the rim. They weren’t they decided to get on the other side so they could chase over the top, so we adjusted some angles.”
The angles and as well as some tired legs from Mississippi State playing its second game in as many days attributed to Henderson’s four second half threes, including the dagger that put Ole Miss up 11 with 2:42 left.
“Yeah, I was feeling it there in the first half. There was like three or four that rolled in and out, and the most roll-in-and-outs I’ve ever had. But they were there. Then missing some, so work it around. Then it was coming, it got to crunch time and it was time that shots had to be made,” Henderson said.
The offense also got a boost from Jarvis Summers driving the lane more and more. He was 4 of 8 in the second half after shooting 3 of 9 in the first half. Henderson and Summer scored a game-high 21 points.
Ole Miss also got eight points form Demarco Cox on 4 of 4 shooting and 10 points from Anthony Perez on 3 of 6 shooting, including a three that pulled Ole Miss within one point with less than 10 minutes to play.
The defense in the second half was the true difference maker, as Ole Miss held Mississippi State to 22 points on 4 of 23 shooting. Mississippi State was coming off its best offense performance of the season, as the Bulldogs shot 59 percent from the field. In the first half against Ole Miss, Mississippi State hit 58 percent of its shots and 55 percent of its threes.
“You know what is funny, I’ve been doing this a long time, and when you make shots, it’s amazing how much energy you have. When you miss shots, that energy goes away quickly,” Kennedy said. “First half, they were making shots, they were hopping all around the gym. We couldn’t make one. I was just trying to stay in the game. Let’s just stay in the game. Stay in the game.”
But Ole Miss’ pressure defense – a 1-3-1 and 2-2-1 press – gave Mississippi State lots of trouble.
“Coach always says players make plays, and a lot of times we get to thinking that that’s only on the offensive end,” Henderson said. “They’re always trying to reiterate to us you can make a big play on defense if you want too.”
Now Ole Miss will get a rematch with Georgia, and Henderson will look to send another set of Bulldogs home.
“At the beginning of games, teams are like real anxious to guard me,” Hendersonsaid. “So running around. But one thing, I got on them and I just never stop running.”
“Or shooting,” added Kennedy.
— Tyler Bischoff
tfbischo@go.olemiss.edu
