REACTION: Mississippi's Chris Beard says free throw differential was deciding factor

ATLANTA - Mississippi head coach Chris Beard said his team didn’t lose on Friday against Michigan State, but that the Rebels ran out of time, and that free throw differential was the difference in the game. Michigan State was 19-of-22 from the foul line, while Auburn was 9-of-10. The actual differential in free throw attempts was 16 to 10, before Michigan State’s last six foul shots of the game, when Mississippi willingly put the Spartans at the foul line in the final :26 seconds. “Obviously the difference in the game was the free-throw differential, period,” Beard said. “We out-rebounded them. We took care of the basketball. It was a helluva basketball game. “We didn't get to the bonus in the first half at all I think, and in the second half at the very end.” Mississippi (24-12) was trying to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.  “I’ve never been this kind of emotion when a season ends, but I'm just thankful for these guys,” Beard said. “From a coaching standpoint, you don't want to get beat your last game of the season, and I didn't think we did. I thought today we just ran out of time." (More inside).