CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Mississippi State coach Ben Howland knew what was coming. Yet, it still left him shaking his head.Can you believe he ran a triangle and two on November 20? smiled Howland at his longtime friend and one-time LA rival, UTEP coach Tim Floyd.Howland, UCLAs coach from 2003-2013, squared off against Floyds USC teams from 2006 through 2009 with the Bruins winning seven of the 10 matchups. This time, Howland left a winner, too, as Aric Holman scored 18 points and Lamar Peters had 13 points, including a critical four-point play that snapped the Bulldogs from a shooting funk, in a 61-54 victory over the Miners. Mississippi State left with two straight wins and fifth place at the Charleston Classic.Im just excited about our team never quits, never gives up, Howland said.The Bulldogs (3-1) trailed 15-4 early and 43-35 in the second half as they started 1 of 10 from the field. Thats when Peters struck for a 3-pointer and got fouled, which seemingly woke up Mississippi State.Coach always tells me to look for my opportunities, Peters said. I just wanted to do whatever it took to help the team.The 6-foot-10 Holman did, too. His last basket was a thunderous jam with 5:22 to go that broke a 49-all tie. Mississippi State did not trail again.At the end of the day, the main thing was just to keep my team going, Holman said. Get defensive stops because our defense leads to our offense.Dominic Artis scored 15 points and Matt Willms had 12 points and 11 rebounds for UTEP. But the Miners lost their shooting touch in the second half, going just 7 of 26 from the field and missing their final four shots to lose two of their three tournament games.Floyd, critical of his club after their 10-3-81 loss to Wake Forest here Thursday, left much more pleased about what the Miners could become. The defense, he said, improved over the weeks three games and Artis and Willms took control of the attack.That was a real, real positive for us, Floyd said.Howland said he and Floyd were friendly during his time in Westwood when fans of the rivalry wanted only hate for the Trojans.He and Floyd hadnt faced each other since USCs 65-55 win over UCLA in the semifinals of the Pac-10 tournament in 2009. Howland doesnt enjoy facing coaches he considers friends. I hope we dont have to do it again, he said. I really do.Floyd enjoyed seeing Howland this weekend, too.Great respect for him, Floyd said. Mississippi States got the right guy.BIG PICTUREUTEP: The Miners have a dynamic guard in Dominic Artis and a solid post player in 7-foot-1 Matt Willms. But if those two struggle, UTEP is often left forcing shots. Starter Jake Flaggert, a three-point specialist, was just 1 of 7 from behind the arc while Paul Thomas, also a starter, struggled from the field at 3 of 8 and was hurt by foul trouble. The Miners will have to discover a reliable third option quickly.Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are led by sophomore Quinndary Weatherspoon. But when Weatherspoon is off his game, as he was against UTEP, Mississippi State is stuck for reliable shooters. Aric Holman was dominant inside before fouling out with 86 seconds left. Take away Holmans 8 of 10 shooting and the Bulldogs were 13 of 42 from the field.INJURED QBen Howland said leading scorer Quinndary Weatherspoon would have an MRI on his left wrist, injured Friday in Southern Mississippis win over Boise State. We dont know how bad it might be, Howland said. Thats what concerns me.UP NEXTUTEP returns home for a two-game stretch, starting against Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday night.Mississippi State begins a five-game run at home when it faces Lehigh on Friday night---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org Rajon Rondo Jersey . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. DeAndre Liggins Jersey . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. http://www.cheappelicansjerseys.com/ . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. DeMarcus Cousins Jersey . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. Darius Miller Jersey . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies.CHICAGO -- Zdeno Chara saw Daniel Pailles quick shot hit the net. He didnt see Tyler Seguins nearly-perfect pass that set up the Boston Bruins overtime winner in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final. Still, Chara figured, it was "probably a good pass." It was. It was also arguably the biggest play Seguin has made in these playoffs. By recording just his sixth point in 18 games, the 21-year-old showed that even amid a goal-scoring slump he can still find a way to be relevant. "Youve seen him grow huge as a player," Paille said. "Its a bit frustrating for him right now that he hasnt scored like he has, but were not too worried about him. We know that hes a special player and we know that he can and its just a matter of time." Seguin has gotten his opportunities. In place of the injured Nathan Horton late in Game 1, Seguin was noticeable in finding scoring chances but also in not finishing them. He has just one goal in the playoffs and has been shuffled down the lineup. Saturday night, coach Claude Julien put Seguin with Paille and centre Chris Kelly, and it paid off with two Boston goals in the 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. "We were moving pretty well, we were competing,&quoot; Seguin said.dddddddddddd "Playing with more confidence out there." Its hard to blame Seguin if he lacked a bit of confidence given his struggles. But after a poor start by everyone except goaltender Tuukka Rask in Game 2, Julien singled out Seguin as "one of the guys that picked up his game." Seguins game, from a production standpoint, has nowhere to go but up. But there are other aspects of the game, including play-making, creating for linemates and back-checking, that can make him stand out. "I think its even more important to play the other parts of the game when youre not contributing offensively," Kelly said. "I think you need to pick up other aspects of your game to make them better in order to be a better all-around player." Its an ongoing process for Seguin, who is two years removed from the Bruins Cup run that including him being a healthy scratch at times. It also included some breakout games. Seguin most likely wont get healthy-scratched this time around. Hes part of Bostons core, even if hes not scoring at the pace of David Krejci (23 points), Nathan Horton (18 points) or Milan Lucic (16 points). But Game 2 was a good start. 12:54ET 16-06-13 Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL T-shirts Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Youth NFL Jerseys Wholesale ' ' '