Despite its loss to Georgia, Mississippi State remained in a tie for third place in the SEC race because of Vanderbilt's defeat to Kentucky later in the evening.
But the setback did cost State the opportunity to grab a share of second place with Florida.
The defeat dropped the Bulldogs to 6-4 in the conference, same as Vandy after its loss to the first-place Wildcats.
A game behind State and Vandy, all tied with 5-5 conference records, were four teams, two of which were among the Bulldogs' remaining six opponents.
All sitting with 5-5 SEC records at the close of play on Feb. 11 were Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Tennessee.
The Bulldogs have games left against Bama (in Tuscaloosa on Feb. 25) and Arkansas (in Starkville on March 3).
Also on their schedule are two road games coming up against LSU and Auburn, a home game against Kentucky, and a road game at South Carolina.
Coach Rick Stansbury bemoaned his team's lack of intensity against Georgia coming off a 10-point win over Ole Miss just two days earlier.
"We needed to be able to put Thursday night's game behind us and to get our emotion and energy back to where it needed to be in 36 hours," Stansbury said. "It is obvious that did not happen against a very good Georgia team.
"They made shots today, 11 three-pointers, but nowhere in that game did I feel we got our emotion or energy to where it needed to be."
NOTES, QUOTES
--Senior G Dee Bost seemingly did everything he could to get Mississippi State going. He was 8-of-17 from the field to take game scoring honors with 21 points.
But he went scoreless in the overtime, missing his only three shots, including a somewhat rushed, leaning three-pointer at the final buzzer.
He agreed with his coach, Rick Stansbury, that the Bulldogs were not ready to play.
"There was a lack of emotion, and we cannot expect to win like that," Bost said. "We have to give Georgia credit. They made a lot of shots."
Bost did not blame the quick turnaround for his team's woes. The Bulldogs had played less than 48 hours before, posting a 10-point win over Ole Miss.
"It was not an excuse from playing back-to-back games," Bost said. "We just did not bring it like we should have."
--Junior F Arnett Moultrie was 5-of-6 from the field for 12 points, but his six rebounds were his fewest since he had only four against Tennessee on Jan. 12.
"Arnett has been good all year," coach Rick Stansbury said. "He just did not have it today. His game is about energy and athleticism." That's a challenge we knew we would have to face."
--One surprising statistic to come out of Mississippi State's loss to Georgia: Junior F Renardo Sidney had 10 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. It was his first time in double figures in rebounds as well.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"No one today was at their best." -- Coach Rick Stansbury, on his players, after the overtime loss to Georgia.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
--at LSU, Feb. 14
Freshman G Anthony Hickey had a nice game in the first meeting, scoring 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and handing out six assists as the Tigers lost by five at Starkville. The Bulldogs have to be on guard for a bigger game from LSU's 7-0 Justin Hamilton, who had only 11 points and five rebounds in that game.
--at Auburn, Feb. 18
F Kenny Gabriel and G Frankie Sullivan have been the Tigers' main weapons for most of the year, but Texas transfer G Varez Ward went off for 24 points off the bench for Auburn in the first meeting with the Bulldogs. State hung on to win that Feb. 4 game in Starkville by just three points. Gabriel had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Sullivan 16 points in that game.
FUTURES MARKET
Mississippi State freshman G DeVille Smith has not played since Jan. 18 against Ole Miss after being hospitalized with an undisclosed illness that resulted in dizziness and headaches. The Georgia game was the sixth in a row that he has missed. He also sat out the opener against Eastern Kentucky, but had played in 18 games since then, averaging better than 16 minutes a game an appearance. His absence means State essentially is left with a seven-man rotation to handle the bulk of the playing time. Four starters logged at least 35 minutes in the overtime loss to Georgia.
PLAYER NOTES
--Sophomore G Jalen Steele missed a three-pointer that would have won the game in regulation but still scored 15 points in 31 minutes off the bench for State in the loss to Georgia.
--Freshman G Rodney Hood just missed posting a third consecutive game in double figures when he was held to eight against Georgia.
