Bulldogs continue hot streak

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Posted 6:54AM on Thursday, February 20, 2003

AUBURN, ALABAMA - Timmy Bowers scored a career-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting as No. 19 Mississippi State took over the SEC Western Division lead with a 63-46 victory over Auburn on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs (17-5, 7-4 Southeastern Conference) held the Tigers (17-7, 6-5) to a season low in points and dominated the boards 40-30 to break the teams' deadlock atop the West. Mario Austin had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Mississippi State, which has won seven of its last eight conference games after starting 0-3. Bowers, who had 17 points in the first half, was 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Auburn, which has lost five of seven since a 4-0 start, has dropped the past four meetings. Marquis Daniels scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half for the Tigers, who went 4-of-15 from the free throw line and shot just 33 percent, including 4-of-21 on 3-pointers. Marco Killingsworth added 11 points for Auburn, while Kyle Davis had seven points, 11 rebounds - eight offensive - and six blocked shots. He was, however, 1-of-7 from the line. Auburn scored the first 10 points of the second half and cut it to 35-29 on a 3-pointer by Daniels less than four minutes in. The Bulldogs then scored the next seven points, capped by Ontario Harper's 3-pointer, and led by at least nine points the rest of the way. The game featured two of the league's top defensive teams, but only one was effective in the first half. The Bulldogs took a 35-19 halftime lead, holding Auburn to one field goal over the final five minutes and 7-of-28 shooting. The also were just 3-of-10 from the free throw line. Bowers was as hot as Auburn was cold, shooting 7-of-8 and making three 3-pointers. Harper stole the ball and found Zimmerman for a wide-open dunk with 39 seconds left as Mississippi State closed the half on a 25-9 run over the final 12 minutes. It matched Auburn's fewest points for a half, equaling the first half against Western Michigan.