Busting Brackets
Fansided

SEC Basketball: Takeaways from 2nd round of 2021 conference tournament

By Matt Melton

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 10: General view during the second half of the game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Texas A&M Aggies at Bridgestone Arena on March 10, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 10: General view during the second half of the game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Texas A&M Aggies at Bridgestone Arena on March 10, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Iverson Molinar Mississippi State Bulldogs SEC Basketball Tournament (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
Iverson Molinar Mississippi State Bulldogs SEC Basketball Tournament (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

Bulldogs Survive and Advance

Mississippi State narrowly defeated Kentucky 74-73 in the opening game of Thursday’s action in Nashville due to a few big shots late from guard Iverson Molinar. Molinar finished the game with 21 points on 8/10 shooting, which included the Bulldogs’ final eight points.

Mississippi State led for a majority of the game, and got some solid performances from Molinar, as well as Abdul Ado who finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, DJ Stewart Jr who finished with a 9-7-10 line, and Tolu Smith who finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Meanwhile, this was the end of a disappointing 2020-2021 season for Kentucky as they finish the season with a 9-16 overall record. The Wildcats made a strong second-half comeback on Thursday and were led by freshman guard Dontaie Allen who finished with a game-high 23 points on 6/13 shooting from 3-point range.

The phenomenal performance from Allen, as well as the return of star freshman Terrence Clarke was not enough to save the Wildcats season as Kentucky will now look toward next season. Mississippi State will now face top-seeded Alabama in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday. Are the Tide too much for the Bulldogs, or can Mississippi State pull off the upset?

Home/SEC