Howland happy with team's performance against Arkansas

Mississippi State coach Ben Howland calls out to players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arkansas in Starkville, Miss., Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Mississippi State coach Ben Howland was well aware Arkansas was without leading scorer JD Notae and two more players, but it did not diminish his team's win Wednesday. 

Redshirt junior forward Tolu Smith celebrated a return to the court after battling a fractured toe injury for 4 months with 18 points and 6 rebounds as Mississippi State downed Arkansas 81-68 at Humphrey Coliseum.

Stanley Umude had 19 points and Devonte "Devo" Davis 15 to lead the Razorbacks (10-3, 0-1 SEC), who played without Notae (illness), reserve Chance Moore (illness) and Kamani Johnson, who was indefinitely suspended.

“You want to hold your serve whenever you are at home," Howland said. "Arkansas is a really good team. In fairness to Arkansas, they did not have their best player. Notae was not available today. I just heard he had an illness. I hope it is not covid for his sake and their sake. 

“He is a spectacular player so we will probably see the we return this game down in Fayetteville later this season.”

Iverson Molina had 16 points, Shakeel Moore 15, DJ Jeffries 10 and North Garrison Brooks 2 points and 10 rebounds for Mississippi State (10-3, 1-0).

“I was worried the whole day, knowing how important this game was," Howland said. "We wanted to start off the right way in conference against a very good team, a year that in Arkansas will be in the NCAA Tournament."

Mississippi State has won four straight games, the latest of which was moved ahead by four hours to 4 p.m.

“I was really happy with our crowd today and I really wanted it to be at 4 because I thought that we better for our fans,” Howland said. “We had a good crowd today considering there was not a student in town. I was imploring them and I was the lead cheerleader.”

He was pleased to have Smith, who suffered his injury this summer and sat out the last four weeks. 

“It obviously was huge,” Howland said. “We needed him. To be our best, we have to have Tolu Smith in the lineup because he is one of our top players, without question. I am just excited for him because he has gone through so much adversity. To be rewarded with this first big win in the league opener was huge and he had a big part in it.”

Mississippi State led 33-31 at halftime and pushed the lead to as many as 16 points in the second half.

“I thought our defense in the second half got better,” Howland said. “We were down at the half in rebound margin and they shot a pretty good percentage from three. In the second half, they were just 3 of 14 from three and we out-boarded them — I think by 10 — so that was huge.”

Mississippi State was also down a player, which Howland admitted was due to covid.

“We did have one player on our team, (freshman) Keyshawn Murphy, test positive for covid,” Howland said. “So his roommates, we tested all three of them, all freshmen, and they were all negative. So that was very concerning as it is for everybody else in college basketball.”