STARKVILLE, Miss. — Reserve Amier Ali scored 16 points and banked in a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left in overtime to help Mississippi State avoid an upset by beating New Orleans 81-78 on Monday night.
Josh Hubbard scored 28 points, Ja’Borri McGhee scored 16 points and Quincy Ballard 11 for Mississippi State (3-3).
Coleton Benson scored 25 points on 7-for-12 shooting from 3-point range for New Orleans (2-4). Reserve Churchill Abass and MJ Thomas each scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Jakevian Buckley scored 11 points.
With the ball outside the arc, Ali dribbled to his right off a screen from Hubbard and banked in the game-winner. After a timeout, Ali stole the ball to end it.
Benson’s 3 with 29 seconds left brought New Orleans into a 78-all tie following Ali’s layup with 54 seconds remaining for a 78-75 Mississippi State lead. Benson’s 3 with four minutes left in the extra session marked the Privateers’ last lead, 71-70.
Shawn Jones Jr. made 1 of 2 foul shots with three seconds left to bring Mississippi State into a 68-all tie to force overtime. New Orleans’ Thomas gave the Privateers the lead at 68-67 with 22 seconds left.
The Bulldogs have won 10 of the last 11 meetings against New Orleans.
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