Jan 29, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) drives to the basket towards the Alabama Crimson Tide in the course of the second half at Humphrey Coliseum. Necessary Credit score: Wesley Hale-Imagn Photos No. 14 Mississippi State has suffered two shut losses at dwelling this season towards top-tier Southeastern Convention groups.
However the league will present the Bulldogs (16-5, 4-4) many extra alternatives to win at dwelling, equivalent to Saturday afternoon towards No. 20 Missouri in Starkville, Miss.
The Bulldogs will attempt to reply positively to their 88-84 dwelling loss to No. 4 Alabama on Wednesday. As with their 95-90 defeat to then-No. 6 Kentucky on Jan. 11, they let a possible hallmark victory slip away.
“At this level, I’d simply say we aren’t a High 10 workforce,” Mississippi State coach Chris Jans mentioned. “I do not like saying or admitting that as a result of I like this workforce. I’m assured and imagine on this group. We have now to remain the course.”
The Bulldogs have already got a robust case for an NCAA Match bid, given their victories at Memphis and Vanderbilt and at dwelling towards Pitt and Ole Miss.
Now Mississippi State is in a stretch of going through 4 ranked groups in a span of 5 video games. Missouri (16-4, 5-2) has two High 10 victories this season, over Kansas at dwelling and at Florida, along with wins over convention foes Vanderbilt and Ole Miss at dwelling.
The challenges simply maintain coming within the SEC.
“We simply have to remain the course,” Mississippi State guard Claudell Harris Jr. mentioned. “Simply maintain our head in the correct house and bear in mind we’re nonetheless that workforce who has beat ranked groups. SEC play is a gauntlet, and you should have your ups and downs, however on the finish of the day, you simply should maintain preventing. We’ll get again.”
The Bulldogs are led by guard Josh Hubbard, who averages 17.3 factors and three.0 assists per recreation. He scored 38 factors towards Alabama.
KeShawn Murphy (10.8), Harris (10.6) and Riley Kugel (10.2) are also averaging in double figures in scoring.
Missouri, in the meantime, rebounded from a 61-53 loss at Texas on Jan. 21 by beating then-No. 16 Ole Miss 83-75 at dwelling final Saturday.
After bogging down offensively towards the Longhorns, the Tigers re-established their ball motion vs. the Rebels. Missouri coach Dennis Gates desires his workforce attacking the basket in its half-court offense and incomes free throws.
In opposition to Ole Miss, the Tigers did a greater job of passing the ball out to 3-point line after drawing double-teams within the lane.
“I felt like there was numerous instances the place somebody drove in there, they performed off two ft, they drew two (defenders), kick, kick, and we have been getting open seems after we have been attacking the paint,” mentioned Missouri guard Caleb Grill, who scored 22 towards the Rebels.
Missouri has been a much-improved defensive workforce this season, which has helped them overcome stretches of chilly taking pictures.
“Our mindset was to not let the defensive aspect of the ball be dictated on if we have been making or lacking pictures or not,” mentioned Tigers guard Tamar Bates, who scored 26 factors towards Ole Miss. “As a result of we got here in with a mindset to get stops and play protection, and to cease the person in entrance of us, and to assist the helper if someone will get beat, that in flip gave us power and gave the ball power and simply helped us make pictures.”
Bates leads the balanced Missouri offense with a mean of 13.5 factors per recreation. Mark Mitchell (13.1), Grill (12.7) and Anthony Robinson II (10.2) are also averaging in double digits.
–Area Degree Media
