Another motivated team awaits USC

COLUMBIA -- South Carolina's slipping and sliding basketball team faced one team with something to prove Thursday night. Less than 48 hours later, it'll see another this evening.

Kentucky desperately wanted to avenge its only loss of the season. (It did.)

Now, Mississippi State desperately needs wins to prop up its on-the-bubble NCAA resume.

Tip time for the Bulldogs and Gamecocks inside Colonial Life Arena is set for 6 p.m. (TV: ESPN).

"We're kind of fighting for our lives right now to get into that tournament," Bulldogs senior center Jarvis Varnado said.

Never was that more obvious than the late going Wednesday in Mississippi State's tight home game against Alabama.

Varnado set the mark as the all-time blocks leader in NCAA history, swatting his 536th shot, during the second half against the Tide.

He allowed for a brief stoppage of play to acknowledge the moment, but he quickly leapt back into the huddle and started coaching his teammates. Varnado shouted as the Bulldogs around him nodded.

"The game wasn't over," Varnado said.

Mississippi State went on to win rather easily.

That's how much wins mean right now for the Bulldogs (20-8, 8-5 SEC), 58th in the recent RPI provided by CBS Sports.

Forget setting records that won't be broken for years to come; it's all about the here and now.

"Our deal now is, it's three games," Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury. "That's all we have to worry about."

The team standing in the way, the beleaguered Gamecocks (14-13, 5-8), has lost four in a row and five of six after briefly peaking above the .500 mark in SEC play.

Undermanned as they have been, it's not as if the Gamecocks are getting blasted every night out.

Competitive as they have been, the reality has long since set in that they're now NCAA spoilers -- whether it be taking out would-be at-large teams or somehow skating through the SEC tourney in a couple of weeks.

Given the Thursday-to-Saturday quick turnaround, it will be interesting to see what USC's energy level looks like this evening.

The team got back from Kentucky well after midnight Friday morning, and it took the day relatively easy in terms of a practice schedule.

You might've heard a sputter or two from Devan Downey's mighty motor, but he seems to still have something left for this late-February stretch.

He scored 26 against Kentucky on Thursday to lead all scorers.

"He's probably the most difficult guard in America to keep in front of you," Stansbury said.

No, Downey's not the issue for the Gamecocks.

The Wildcats thoroughly dominated USC down low.

Freshman DeMarcus Cousins and veteran Patrick Patterson did basically what they wanted all night, going 17-for-23 with 42 points and 19 rebounds.

It's the penultimate home game for Downey and the Gamecocks' seniors, who host Alabama on Wednesday for Senior Night.

A week from today, South Carolina finishes its regular season at Vanderbilt. Then it's on to the SEC Tournament, which will take place just up Broadway inside Nashville's Sommet Center.

The Gamecocks need to locate a win or two, or the NIT might even be out of reach for a team that was once considered an ultimate overachiever.

Meanwhile, Mississippi State closes with Auburn and Tennessee before the SEC tourney, which it won a year ago to earn the league's automatic berth.

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com, check out the Gamecocks blog at postandcourier.com/blogs/gamecocks and follow him on Twitter (@gamecocksblog).

Mississippi State at South Carolina

WHEN/WHERE: 6 p.m., Colonial Life Arena, Starkville, Miss.

TV: Fox Sports Net

RADIO: WTMA 1250-AM

SOUTH CAROLINA (14-13, 5-8 Southeastern)

HEAD COACH: Darrin Horn (35-23 in second year at South Carolina)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Devan Downey, 5-9, sr. (22.9 ppg, 3.5 apg); G Brandis Raley, 6-1, sr. (11.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg); F Sam Muldrow, 6-9, jr. (9.9 ppg, 3.1 bpg).

NOTES: South Carolina has won six games this season when trailing at the half. ... Downey's 2.9 steals a game are tops in the country. ... The Gamecocks are 10th in the country in turnover margin (plus-4.3). ... USC, interestingly, is 427-426-1 all time in the month of February. ... Muldrow is second only to Varnado in the league in blocks.

MISSISSIPPI STATE (20-8, 8-5 Southeastern)

HEAD COACH: Rick Stansbury (251-136 in 12th year at Mississippi State)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Dee Bost, 6-2, so. (12.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg); G Barry Stewart, 6-3, sr. (11.3 rpg, 4.2 rpg); C Jarvis Varnado, 6-9, sr. (13.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg).

NOTES: The Bulldogs have won three in a row in the series, including an ouster of USC in the 2009 SEC tourney. Mississippi State went on to win the event and earn the automatic berth to the NCAAs. ... Ravern Johnson figures to be the league's sixth-man of the year. Johnson's averaging 13.7 points a game off the bench.

-- Travis Haney