Dec. 3, 2005
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi State outscored Santa Clara 16-3 in overtime to beat the Broncos 82-69 Saturday afternoon.
Jamont Gordon led the Bulldogs (5-2) with 20 points, hitting four of five three point attempts. Jamall Edmondson followed with 19 points.
Reginald Delk made six threes to finish with 18, and Charles Rhodes had 11. Edmondsons three-point basket with 1:11 left in overtime gave the Bulldogs a nine point lead.
Santa Clara made one of eight shots in the extra period, missing six three-pointers. The Bulldogs, who lost their only other overtime game this season, hit all four of their shots in the extra period including two threes.
The Broncos (3-2) had a chance to win in regulation, but Brody Angley's fade away jumper with two second left ricocheted off the rim.
Mississippi States 14 three-pointers in the game is a season high. The Bulldogs shot 52 percent from field goal range and 50 percent from down town.
The Broncos shot only 36 percent from the field, only making three of 19 three-point attempts in the second half and overtime.
Santa Clara was led by forward Travis Niesen's 22 points.
Angley added 17 points, hitting five threes. Santa Clara had their largest lead of the game at 61-57 with four minutes to play in the second half, but Delk hit back-to-back threes to tie the game.
A Niesen lay up gave the Broncos a 65-63 lead with under a minute to play, but Gordon hit a three with 43 seconds to go, giving MSU a one point lead. Niesen hit one free throw with 24 seconds left, pushing the game into overtime.
Twenty four of Mississippi States 37 halftime points came from beyond the arc, as they hit eight of 15 three-point attempts.
Santa Clara finished the half with three consecutive three-pointers and went seven of 16 from down town.
The Bulldogs largest lead of the first half came at the 13:05 mark when they took an 18-10 lead, but the Broncos went on a 10-4 run to pull within two points.
MSU then held the Broncos without a field goal for nearly five minutes, playing a vaunted 2-3 zone, to take a four point halftime lead.
Mississippi State leads the series against the Broncos 3-0.
The Bulldogs beat Santa Clara in December 2003, 66-61, in an overtime game.
After playing seven games in 14 days, Mississippi State will get a week off before they face Troy next Saturday night.
