Mississippi State vs Liberty 3/22/19 - College Basketball Picks & Predictions

On Friday the No. 5 seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs play the Liberty Flames in the first round of the NCAA Tournament East Region. The Bulldogs lost in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in their last outing 83-76. Aric Holman led the Bulldogs in the loss with 20 points, while Quinndary Weatherspoon scored 16.

Liberty is appearing for the first time in the NCAA tourney since 2013 after defeating Lipscomb 74-68 to win the Atlantic Sun Tournament championship. Scottie James scored a layup with just under a minute remaining to left the Flames to a lead they would not relinquish. Quinndary Weatherspoon leads four players scoring in double figures for Mississippi State with an average of 18.2 points per game. Reggie Perry leads the team in rebounds with an average of 7.1 per game, while Lamar Peters is the leader in assists with an average of 5.2 per game. Mississippi State is shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.8% from 3-point territory.

Scottie James leads Liberty in scoring and rebounding with averages of 13.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Caleb Homesley is the leader in assists with an average of 2.8 per game. Liberty is shooting 49.0% from the field and 36.7% from 3-point territory.