It was a Herculean effort from Mississippi State -- especially Jarvis Varnado, who contributed 18 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks --that nearly knocked Kentucky off its pedestal.But it wasn’t enough.
Video: Kentucky Escapes Dogged Mississippi State, Preserves Bubble Berth
After a smart foul by Barry Stewart, perfect down-three execution by Eric Bledsoe at the free throw line, and an airball from John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins’ putback with a tenth of a second left sent the SEC Tournament final to overtime. And John Wall had seven points in the second frame, including a ludicrous three while falling out of bounds, to give the Wildcats a 75-74 win and station Big Blue at the SEC’s mountaintop once more.
The Bulldogs’ valiant effort leaves them right at the edge of the bubble, and, of the bubble teams, theirs is the case that will be most celebrated if the door shuts before they make it to the Dance. But does a near-miss against Kentucky and a strong finish make up for a double-digit loss to Rider and other résumé deficiencies?
We’ll see this evening.
(Video via Jose.)
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