Lamar (1-6) vs. Mississippi State (5-1)
Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Mississippi; Thursday, 8 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Two guards will be on display as Davion Buster and Lamar will take on Iverson Molinar and Mississippi State. The senior Buster is averaging 15.2 points over the last five games. Molinar, a junior, has scored 21 percent of the team’s points this season and is averaging 16.4 over his last five games.
SAVVY SENIORS: Lamar’s Buster, C.J. Roberts and Ellis Jefferson have collectively accounted for 43 percent of the team’s scoring this season and have scored 49 percent of all Cardinals points over the last five games.
SPARKING THE OFFENSE: Roberts has had his hand in 42 percent of all Lamar field goals over the last three games. Roberts has 19 field goals and 12 assists in those games.
STREAK STATS: Lamar has dropped its last five road games, scoring 69.2 points and allowing 85.8 points during those contests. Mississippi State has won its last four home games, scoring an average of 76 points while giving up 52.
PASSING FOR POINTS: The Cardinals have recently gotten baskets via assists more often than the Bulldogs. Mississippi State has 34 assists on 79 field goals (43 percent) over its previous three contests while Lamar has assists on 41 of 74 field goals (55.4 percent) during its past three games.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: The tough Mississippi State defense has held opponents to 58.5 points per game, the 30th-lowest mark in Division I. Lamar has given up an average of 77 points through seven games (ranking the Cardinals 216th).
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