Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Kansas State Wildcats Match Player Stats On Dec 14, 2019

Mississippi State took its first lead since early in the first half with 3:11 left in the game, then held on to defeat Kansas State 67-61 at the Never Forget Tribute Classic in Newark, N.J., remembering the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

The Bulldogs finished with a 14-3 run.

Kansas State missed 10 straight field goals, covering more than nine minutes, before Mike McGuirl hit a follow with 50 seconds left.

A balanced Mississippi State (7-2) was led by Tyson Carter with 14 points. Abdul Ado (13), Robert Woodard II (12) and D.J. Stewart Jr. (10) joined him in double-figures. Woodard also pulled down 10 rebounds.

Kansas State (6-4) was led by Cartier Diarra with 20 points, with McGuirl adding 14. Diarra, who has led the Wildcats in assists in each of the team's first nine games, did not have an assist. The Wildcats had just seven assists for the game.

Foul trouble haunted Mississippi State in the second half as four different players picked up three fouls before the second media timeout. Reggie Perry and Carter, MSU's leading scorers on the season, were the first two to get into trouble, Carter's third coming just 42 seconds into the half.

Woodard picked up his fourth at the 7:16 mark, and Carter picked up his fourth 45 seconds later. Perry earned his fourth with 4:28 left. But nobody was disqualified because of fouls.

K-State fell behind 7-2 early, then went on a 23-8 run to assume a 10-point lead midway through the first half. The key was excellent outside shooting from 3-point range. The Wildcats hit five of their first seven from long range. They finished the half 6-of-11 from 3-point range, but just 2-of-10 from inside the arc.

The Wildcats led by as many as 12, but a scoring drought of nearly four minutes gave back that lead and the teams went to the half tied at 32-all. The Bulldogs closed the half on a 17-5 run.

Mississippi State was led by Woodard with 9 points. McGuirl led K-State with 11 points, while Diarra chipped in 8 points.

--Field Level Media