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National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Mississippi State 66, Nebraska 59
When: 9:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Mississippi
Officials: # Tony Henderson, # Jamie Luckie, # Tommy Morrissey
Attendance: 3485
Aric Holman had a double-double and Abdul Ado nearly matched him as Mississippi State held off Nebraska 66-59 in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday night in Starkville, Miss.

Holman had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Ado had 15 points and nine rebounds as the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (23-11) advanced to meet No. 1 seed Baylor on Sunday.

Xavian Stapleton had 12 points and Lamar Peters didn't score but contributed 14 assists in the Bulldogs' first postseason victory since an 81-67 triumph against Jackson State in the 2010 NIT.

The Bulldogs played without SEC All-Freshman guard Nick Weatherspoon, who suffered a hip contusion during a fall in the Bulldogs' 62-59 loss to Tennessee in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament last week.

James Palmer Jr. scored 13 points, Isaac Copeland Jr. had 12 and Isaiah Roby 10 to lead fifth-seeded Nebraska (22-11).

MSU led by five points at halftime, but Nebraska made three 3-pointers and converted a three-point play to pull even at 40.

Holman scored the next five points and the Bulldogs maintained that margin as they took a 50-45 lead after three quarters.

Copeland Jr. and Jordy Tshimanga each made a basket and Palmer hit two free throws to give the Huskers a 51-50 lead with 7:41 remaining.

Stapleton's layup gave the lead back to the Bulldogs and Tyson Carter scored four points as they took a 58-53 lead with 2:18 left.

Quinndary Weatherspoon's 3-pointer pushed the lead to 61-53 with 1:46 left as Nebraska made just one field goal in a seven-minute span.

Roby and Anton Gill made consecutive baskets to get the Cornhuskers within 61-57, but Stapleton made two free throws with 41 seconds left.

Ado scored the final six points for MSU as it finished on a 10-4 run to take a 19-12 lead after one quarter.

The Huskers scored the first seven points of the second quarter to pull even before Holman ended the streak with a 3-pointer.

Nebraska got within one point before Ado converted a three-point play and Stapleton made a 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 30-23 lead.

The Huskers scored the next five points before Carter's 3-pointer gave MSU a 33-28 halftime lead.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Nebraska   Mississippi State
James Palmer Jr. 13 Scoring Aric Holman 16
James Palmer Jr. 5 Assists Lamar Peters 14
Isaiah Roby 8 Rebounds Aric Holman 10
James Palmer Jr. 3 Free Throws Made Abdul Ado 3
Glynn Watson Jr. 3 Steals Tyson Carter 1
James Palmer Jr. 2 Blocks Aric Holman 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Nebraska 59 35.4 6-22 7-9 10 27 4 6 5
Mississippi State 66 42.1 6-18 12-18 16 43 7 2 13