Mark Sears Guides Alabama Past Miss. State to Secure 82-74 Win

In the game against host Mississippi State on Saturday night in Starkville, Miss, Southeastern Conference primary scorer Mark Sears scored 22 points and contributed nine of Alabama’s ultimate 11 points as the Crimson Tide triumphed over Mississippi State 82-74.

When it was 76-74 in favor of Alabama (11-5, 3-0 SEC) with 34.1 seconds remaining, Cameron Matthews (12 points) missed two free throws in an attempt to level the score for the Bulldogs (12-4, 1-2).

Sears managed to convert two free throws and added two more, concluding the game 8-for-8 at the line, as Alabama registered its fifth consecutive victory against the Bulldogs and for the eighth occasion in the past nine confrontations.

Latrell Wrightsell Jr. racked up 19 points and Rylan Griffen garnered 17 and six rebounds. Grant Nelson amassed nine points, nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals for Alabama.

The Crimson Tide seized the victory at the charity stripe, converting 22 of 26 attempts (84.6 percent), while the Bulldogs slumped at 55.6 percent (15-for-27). Tolu Smith of Mississippi State gathered 15 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

Josh Hubbard accumulated 14 points while Shakeel Moore secured 13. D.J. Jeffries amassed nine points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Following their impressive triumph over No. 5 Tennessee on Wednesday, the Bulldogs sustained that momentum into a formidable commencement, establishing a 15-6 lead in the initial 5:37 of the match, with five points from Hubbard and four from both Smith and Matthews.

Nevertheless, the visitors shrugged off the commencement and instigated a robust effort to surpass the Bulldogs with a 15-6 surge, attaining a 23-21 lead on Wrightsell’s three-pointer with 8:10 remaining.

Alabama held the lead for most of the rest of the half, but Moore’s jump shot with three seconds left narrowed the Bulldogs’ halftime deficit to 40-38. Mississippi State exhibited superior shooting in the first half, connecting on 15 of 28 shots (53.6 percent), while Alabama made 12 of 28 (42.9 percent).

However, the Crimson Tide retained a 13-2 edge in points off turnovers to maintain the two-point lead, despite being outscored 20-12 in the paint. In the second half, Alabama gradually constructed a 10-point lead, 59-49, after Sears converted two free throws at 12:40.

The Bulldogs decreased the deficit to 67-66 with two free throws from Smith, establishing a closely contested match with 5:43 remaining.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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