JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Quinndary Weatherspoon scored 14 points and went 5 of 6 from the free-throw line in the final minute as No. 17 Mississippi State held off Wright State 67-63 on Saturday night for its eighth straight victory.
Aric Holman had 12 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and four assists for the Bulldogs (11-1), while Lamar Peters chipped in 11 points and Tyson Carter scored 10.
Bill Wampler had 19 points for the Raiders (6-7), who went on a 13-2 run starting midway through the second half and tied the game at 55-all on Parker Ernsthausen’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 5:57 remaining.
Lamar Peters put the Bulldogs ahead again with a free throw, and Mississippi State didn’t trail from there, although Wright State cut the lead to one point on two occasions.
Mississippi State led 35-24 at halftime and 38-27 early in the second half, but Wright State made four 3-pointers, three by Wampler, and Malachi Smith converted a three-point play to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 43-42.
Ernsthausen and Mark Hughes scored 11 points apiece for the Raiders.
BIG PICTURE
Wright State: The Raiders shot 23 percent (3 of 13) from 3-point range in the first half but made 8 of 15 (53 percent) from beyond the arc in the second half.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs went 6 of 8 from the free-throw line in the final five minutes, and layups from Peters, Nick Weatherspoon and Robert Woodard helped Mississippi State pull away.
UP NEXT
Wright State hosts Illinois-Chicago on Friday to open Horizon League play.
Mississippi State hosts BYU next Saturday.
