February 28, 2004

Vanderbilt falls to No. 7 Mississippi State, 72-69

2/28/2004

Matt Freije finished with a game-high 26 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

Vanderbilt falls to No. 7 Mississippi State, 72-69
Dores sit at 7-7 in SEC play

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Despite a game-high 26-point effort from senior forward Matt Freije, Vanderbilt fell to No. 7 Mississippi State 72-69 Saturday night in Nashville.

The Commodores had a split-second chance at a buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime but was unable to get the ball in the hands of Freije.

Both teams came well-prepared and played 40 minutes of competitive basketball. The first half alone featured six ties and 13 lead changes as the Bulldogs fought for a 43-42 halftime lead.

Vanderbilt scraped out a productive 11-3 run throughout the middle minutes of the first half, ignited primarily by tough defense. Sophomore forward Julian Terrell grabbed a defensive rebound off a shot blocked by senior center Dawid Przybyszewski, which resulted in a lay-up on the other end. Senior guard Russell Lakey then took a charge on the Commodores’ next defensive possession. Vanderbilt capitalized on their ensuing possession of the ball when freshman guard Dan Cage drained three-pointer.

The Commodores had a chance to enter halftime with a 42-41 lead, but Bulldog senior guard Timmy Bowers tipped the ball in at the buzzer to give Mississippi State the one-point lead.

The second half featured much of the same competitive play from both teams. Mississippi State went up 48-46 five minutes into the stanza. Vanderbilt was later able to tie the score at 55 on a fast-break trey by junior guard Jason Holwerda, but could not get any closer.

The Bulldogs, who outscored the Commodores 11-3 in fast break points, were led by junior forward Lawrence Roberts’ 18 points and 14 rebounds. Bowers finished with 16 points, and junior guard Winsome Frazier also chipped in 15 points for Mississippi State.

Freije pulled down eight boards and had three blocks to go with his 26 points and sophomore guard Mario Moore added 10 points, three rebounds and two steals. Przybyszewski, who was sidelined with foul trouble for much of the game, also contributed four rebounds, three blocks and two steals in his limited minutes.

Vanderbilt returns to action when it plays host in-state rival Tennessee on March 3. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.