March 21, 2008
Rhodes, Stewart key Mississippi St. rally over Oregon
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Ticker) -- Once Barry Stewart picked up on Charles Rhodes' vibe, Mississippi State began to roll.
Rhodes and Stewart combined for 34 points in the second half as the Bulldogs rallied for a 76-69 victory over Oregon in the first round of the South Regional.
Trailing by as many as 13 points in the opening moments of the second half, Mississippi State (23-10) stormed back behind the play of Rhodes and the long-range shooting of Stewart.
Rhodes finished with 18 of his career-high 34 points in the second half while Stewart notched all 16 of his after the break, including all four of the Bulldogs' 3-pointers.
Mississippi State charged to the lead behind a 12-1 run midway through the second half, with Rhodes and Stewart combining for 10 points. Jarvis Varnado capped the burst with a layup, giving the Bulldogs a 55-52 lead with 8:52 to play.
The Ducks (18-14) could to fade away as the second half went on, finishing just 2-of-21 from the arc after intermission. Oregon started the game 7-of-17 on 3-pointers to take a 38-28 lead at the break.
Although Mississippi State shot 36 percent (10-of-28) in the opening 20 minutes, Rhodes kept the team afloat with 16 points.
Malik Hairston had 22 points for the Ducks.
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