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After 28 years of waiting, it didn't matter to Mississippi State that Louisiana State was at less than full strength.
The No. 23 Bulldogs, picked for no better than seventh in the 10-team Southeastern Conference, beat No. 18 LSU, 76-73, Saturday to earn a share of the conference crown with the Tigers.
It was Mississippi State's first SEC title since 1963 and only the fifth in the school's 58 years in the conference.
LSU (20-8 overall, 13-5 in the SEC) played without sophomore center Shaquille O'Neal, who has a leg injury, and ailing three-point shooter Mike Hansen played only 14 minutes.
Mississippi State (20-7, 13-5) will be top seeded in the SEC tournament starting Thursday in Nashville because of its two victories over LSU.
Greg Carter scored 11 of his 20 points as Mississippi State took a 28-17 lead. LSU rallied in the second half, cutting the deficit to 68-65 with 4:40 left on Lenear Burns' three-pointer.
Nate Morris' basket gave Mississippi State a 71-65 lead with 3:23 left and after a flagrant foul was called on LSU's Harold Boudreaux, the Bulldogs made one of the technical foul shots and got the ball back.
Geert Hammick had 20 points and 10 rebounds for LSU.
No. 5 Indiana 74, Wisconsin 61-Calbert Cheaney scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half as the Hoosiers beat the Badgers in a Big Ten Conference game at Madison, Wis.
The Hoosiers (25-4, 13-3) had a 46-38 lead with 11:41 left, but Wisconsin (13-13, 7-9) pulled to 50-48 on a free throw by Patrick Tompkins with 7:37 to play. Indiana opened a 60-52 lead, but Carlton McGee's two baskets made the score 60-56 with 3:40 to play.
Indiana scored the next nine points, including two baskets and two free throws by Jamal Meeks, to clinch the victory.
Willie Simms scored 22 points for Wisconsin.
No. 11 New Mexico State 105, Fresno State 80-Tracey Ware scored 21 points and the Aggies overpowered the Bulldogs in a Big West Conference game at Las Cruces, N.M.
New Mexico State (23-4, 15-3) finished the regular season in second place behind top-ranked and undefeated Nevada Las Vegas.
Carl Ray Harris scored 20 points for Fresno State (12-15, 7-11).
Iowa State 68, No. 12...