PORTLAND, Ore. | Mississippi State’s improbable postseason run is over.
The Bulldogs, who last week won four games in four days to win the SEC Tournament, lost to Washington 71-58 at the Rose Garden here earlier today.
The Huskies (26-6), seeded fourth in the West Region, advanced to a Saturday second round game against Purdue. Washington fans dominated the 19,985-seat arena, making the game essentially a road game for State, which was supported by a few hundred fans.
The game was close in the first 10 minutes, but Washington pulled away when State’s star center, Jarvis Varnado, was sitting on the bench with two fouls. He left the game at 10:08, and Washington led 14-12.
The Huskies used a three-point play with 2.8 seconds left in the half to extend their lead to 38-27.
Washington scored six unanswered in the first three minutes of the second half to lead by 16. Varnado earned his third and fourth fouls in a 40-second span at the 14-minute mark, and State soon found itself down 18.
Varnado finished with seven points, five blocks and three rebounds. Barry Stewart and Phil Turner led State with 11 points. Turner had eight rebounds.
Quincy Pondexter led Washington with 23 points off 9-of-16 shooting.
MSU’s season ended at 23-13, but its six-game winning streak that it took to Portland may have laid the foundation for better times ahead.
All but one of State’s scholarship players have eligibility remaining. The lone loss is forward Brian Johnson, who has been a role player off the bench mostly to eat up minutes in the post.
State’s entire starting lineup should return intact. Varnado, a first-team all-Southeastern Conference player and the league’s defensive player of the year, is likely to return for another year if he doesn’t enter the NBA Draft in June.
Among starters, State also returns freshman all-SEC point guard Dee Bost, experienced off-guard Barry Stewart, 3-point shooting threat Ravern Johnson and scrappy Phil Turner.
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