Moultrie leads Mississippi State

Moultrie goes up for a shot/AP Images

Moultrie is adding a little boost to the Bulldogs' offense.

By Trevor Hass

Mississippi State (18-5 5-3 SEC) beat Auburn (13-10, 3-6 SEC) 91-88 Saturday.  The Bulldogs scored 48 points in the second half and held off the Tigers.  

Scoring 91 points is impressive for any in-conference game, but it’s especially noteworthy considering Mississippi State’s offensive struggles in recent years. The last time the Bulldogs won a conference game while scoring 90+ points came in 2007 when they thumped Alabama 91-67.

In past years, Mississippi State’s defense kept them in contention. This year, while the team still prides itself on defense, offense is MSU’s specialty. One main reason why the offense is gelling, is the strong play of junior forward Arnett Moultrie.  

Moultrie is averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds on the season, and his 6’11 stature and improved jump shot make him a difficult match-up for opponents. Against Auburn, Moultrie scored 21 points and came up with key buckets down the stretch.

He has scored 20+ nine times this year and amassed 10+ rebounds on 16 occasions. Moultrie is a transfer from UTEP, where he averaged nine points per game in two seasons. Last year he didn’t play at all, so now he is considered a junior and is thriving as MSU’s go-to scorer.  

MSU also relies on Dee Bost, who is posting 16 points and five assists per game, and doing so like a “boss.” Moultrie and Bost are MSU’s stars and the two have made the Bulldogs’ offense more potent than it has been in years. Mississippi State faces Mississippi Thursday and Georgia Saturday. If MSU can win games down the stretch it has a good chance of obtaining a seed in the tournament in the 4-7 range.