NCAA Men's Basketball Scoreboard: Recap

Recap | Box Score | Today's Scoreboard

Mississippi St. 62, Florida 52

Posted: Saturday March 09, 2002 12:15 AM

Florida Related Info: Team Page Conference Page City Page: • Gainesville Message Boards: • Florida • SEC

Mississippi St. Related Info: Team Page Conference Page City Page: • Starkville Message Boards: • Mississippi St. • SEC

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- With his best scorer nursing a sore hamstring, Mississippi coach Rick Stansbury needed a good defensive effort from his team for any chance of a victory. Instead, he got a great one.

Sophomore reserve Timmy Bowers scored all 17 of his points in the second half and the Bulldogs held 12th-ranked Florida to its second-lowest point total of the season en route to a 62-52 victory in a Southeastern Conference quarterfinal matchup.

"We didn't blink when Timmy was 0-for-5 in the first half," Stansbury said. "He made big plays in the second half." "We almost tried to treat him as a starter," Florida coach Billy Donovan said." Mississippi State (25-7) held the Gators' top scorers, Udonis Haslem and Matt Bonner, to just seven points apiece in earning its sixth straight win. Haslem, who got into early foul trouble, did not score until 9 1/2 minutes remained in the contest.

Playing despite a sore hamstring, leading scorer Mario Austin netted 10 points for the Bulldogs, who face Louisiana State in the semifinals on Saturday.

Justin Hamilton scored 13 points and Brett Nelson 10 for Florida (22-8), which had a five-game winning streak snapped.

Derrick Zimmerman had 15 points and seven assists and Michael Ignorski chipped in 14 points and six rebounds for Mississippi State, which shot 37 percent (20-of-54) from the field but hit 16-of-22 free throws compared to 7-of-11 for the Gators.

Florida's 31 percent (20-of-64) from the field was the lowest for a Bulldogs opponent this season.

"I think from a defensive standpoint, both teams played hard, great defense," Donovan said. "It was a very physical game." Haslem's first field goal, a dunk with 5:50 to play, cut the deficit to 46-41. Bowers answered, converting an alley-oop, getting fouled, and sinking the free throw. Donnell Colas countered with a three-point play for Florida, but Bowers followed with a jumper with 3:25 left.

The Gators were able to get no closer than six points thereafter.

"I didn't play until late in the second half, which is probably why I didn't have a field goal," said Haslem, who played three minutes in the first half and 18 overall. "I put my team in a bad position." Florida, which has not won two consecutive SEC tournament games since 1995, missed its first 10 field goals en route to a 25-22 halftime edge.