Mississippi State’s Nick Weatherspoon holds his hip after going up for a layup and landing hard on the court during the second half of the Bulldogs’ game against Tennessee in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament Friday in St. Louis. Weatherspoon was taken off the court on a stretcher.ST. LOUIS – Until 19:14 remained in Tennessee’s eventual 62-59 Southeastern Conference tournament victory over Mississippi State on Friday night, it was all about basketball.
It was about State attempting to keep its season-long dream alive, however fragile that dream, to reach the NCAA tournament.
It was also about Tennessee proving itself worthy of the SEC regular-season co-championship trophy it received before the game for tying Auburn for that title.
And with 19:14 to go, the Vols clinging to a 31-28 lead, the game’s outcome was uncertain enough to fill both teams with hope that their ambitions might be realized by the final horn.
But then Mississippi State guard Nick Weatherspoon was suddenly lying motionless under the MSU basket, just out of bounds, having tumbled to the court 12 seconds earlier. Only play hadn’t stopped then. The Volunteers were heading the other way and Weatherspoon was moving about just outside the in-bounds line under the goal, having apparently hurt his hip.