Live Updates: No. 24 Alabama Basketball at Mississippi State

Live updates, stats and analysis from Humphrey Coliseum as the Crimson Tide looks to get back on track against the Bulldogs and pick up a road SEC win.

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Four games into the conference schedule Alabama basketball has as many SEC losses as it did all of last season. The Crimson Tide (11-5, 2-2 SEC) faces a difficult road test at Mississippi State (11-4, 2-1 SEC) Saturday evening in Humphrey Coliseum to try and right the ship. Alabama has lost two in a row and three of its last five.

Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville is the site where Alabama clinched the SEC regular season title last season. It was the first time the Crimson Tide had won in Starkville since 2017. Alabama swept the Bulldogs in three meetings last year, and Mississippi State will be looking for revenge. 

Alabama transfer Javian Davis is now a redshirt junior for Mississippi State. Earlier this week during media availability, Alabama head coach Nate Oats said that Davis still keeps up with his former Alabama teammates and coaches and even spent time in Tuscaloosa this summer. 

"I saw him this summer and we talked, so I've still got a good relationship with him," Oats said. "And I hope he does really well except for the two games against us."

Davis is averaging 5.8 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game for Mississippi State. 

Alabama has played Mississippi State more than any other opponent in program history, and the Crimson Tide leads the all-time series 129-77. It is still early enough in the season that this is not a must win game for the Crimson Tide, but it could be an important turning point for this team. 

Follow along for live updates throughout the game with the most recent updates at the top.

Second Half

• FINAL: Mississippi State 78, No. 24 Alabama 76

• Ellis misses a three-pointer. Ball game.

• Davison intentionally fouls, sending Garcia to the free-throw line for two shots. Garcia misses his first shot, but makes his second 78-76 MSU with 3.2 seconds left.

• Ellis hits all three of his free throws. 77-76 MSU with 3.7 seconds left.

• Moore hits his second free throw. On the next possession, Ellis is fouled on a three-point attempt. He misses the basket, but will go to the line. 77-73 MSU with 3.7 seconds left to play.

• Rojas is called for a blocking foul with three left on the shot clock. Moore hits one free throw before MSU calls a timeout. 76-73 with 14.9 seconds left to play.

• Moore gets called for traveling, and Ellis makes the most of it with a three. 75-73 MSU with 0:42 seconds left.

• Miles hits a three, making it 75-70 in favor of MSU. Alabama timeout.

• Ellis picks up his fourth foul and Moore makes both of his free throws.

• A steal by Brooks leads to a layup from Molinar. MSU leads 73-67 with 1:55 left to play.

• Garcia misses both of his free throws. The second is rebounded by Shackelford.

• Quinerly is fouled by Matthews, and now he'll get a shot at the line. Quinerly hits his first free throw, then misses his second. Rebound by MSU.

• Gary gets called for his fourth personal, sending Moore to the line. Moore hits both, and MSU is now ahead by 5 with 3:18 left to play.

• At the final scheduled media timeout, the Bulldogs still lead the Crimson Tide 69-66 with 3:38 left to go.

• MSU timeout.

• Garcia hits a layup, and the Bulldogs are back up by three.

• Layup good by Gary, and Alabama cuts the MSU lead to 1.

• Ellis picks up his third foul, and Matthews hits one of his two free throws. 67-64 MSU with 5:35 left to go.

• Rojas heads to the line and hits one of his two free throws. Both teams are now in the bonus.

• Smith fouls out of the game for MSU.

• Three-straight offensive rebounds by MSU leads to another missed shot, but Quinerly is called for a foul on Moore. Moore steps up to the line and hits both, giving the Bulldogs a 66-63 lead.

• Matthews hits a layup, and is fouled by Gurley. Gurley has now fouled out of the game. Matthews hits the and-one, putting the Bulldogs ahead 64-63 with just over 17 minutes left in the game.

• Bediako hits two free throws to put Alabama back on top by 2.

• Brooks makes a jumper, and we are tied once again. 61-61 at the under-8 media timeout.

• Smith fouls Shackelford, who goes 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. 61-59 Alabama with 8:06 left to play.

• Moore hits a dunk to cut the Alabama lead down to 1.

• Brooks gets the put back for two points. Alabama still leads 60-57.

• Molinar ties the game with another layup, but Ellis responds for Alabama with a three.

• Shackelford gets a basket high off the glass. 55-53 Alabama. Media timeout.

• Miles ties the game with a tip-in for two.

• Molinar gets another layup, and MSU takes the lead.

• Molinar hits an open three, and the Bulldogs have tied the game at 51.

• Bediako picks up his first foul, and MSU takes advantage with a free throw. The Bulldogs pull within 1.

• Davison hits a setback three to make it 49-47 Alabama.

• Rojas picks up his third personal, leading to two MSU free throws. Prior to that, Bediako hit a jumper. 46-44 Alabama with 16:58 left to play in the game.

• Rojas hits a three, and Alabama now leads MSU 44-39. Rojas now has 5 points in five minutes on the court.

• Brooks opens the second half with a layup for MSU. 

First Half

First Half stats:

HALFTIME: No. 24 Alabama 41, Mississippi State 37

• 0:25- Quinerly finally makes a field goal with a nice drive to the basket to give Alabama the 41-37 lead. 

• 1:33- Rojas nails two free throws to push Alabama's lead to 39-36. It is the first points for Rojas this season. 

• 1:54- Darius Miles sinks two free throws to give Alabama a 37-36 lead. 

• 2:50- Two free throws and a fast break basket from Mulinar gives the Bulldogs a 36-33 lead. 

• At the under-four TV timeout, Alabama holds a 33-32 lead. Overall, much better effort and energy in the first half for the Crimson Tide, but they have yet to be able to build up any type of substantial lead. 

• 4:14- Molinar gives the Bulldogs the lead again after Alabama can barely get a shot off in time on the possession before. 32-31 Mississippi State. 

• 6:34- James Rojas checks into the game for the first time this season. He has been rehabbing an offseason ACL injury. The Alabama fans in attendance give him a loud ovation. He makes an early impact with an offensive rebound on his first trip down the floor. 

• 6:52- Shackelford misses a three-pointer, but Jusaun Holt grabs the offensive rebound and gets it back to Shackelford who lays it in. Alabama up 31-27. Shackelford up to 12 points. 

• 7:38- Now Keon Ellis sinks a three-pointer as the Alabama shot clock is expiring. It is his first field goal of the game. Alabama leads 29-27. 

• 8:11- Alabama gives up a long jumper to Molinar as the shot clock is expiring. Bulldogs retake the lead at 27-26. 

• 9:25- After a nice drive by Gurley to the basket and two free throws from Keon Ellis, Alabama holds a 26-23 lead.

• 10:41- Miles makes two free throws to retake the lead for Alabama. He is up to seven points. 22-21 Crimson Tide

• 11:20- Bediako goes 1-2 from the free throw line. Mississippi State still leads 21-20.

• Mississippi State leads 21-19 at the under-12 media timeout with Charles Bediako shooting two free throws coming out of the timeout.  Alabama really struggling to find an answer defensively for the size of the Bulldogs inside. 

• 11:57- Miles sinks a 3 to tie the game at 19-19. Some nice minutes off the bench for miles here in the first half. 

• 12:47- Darius Miles with two offensive rebounds on the same possession and lays the second one in. Mississippi State leads 19-16. 

• The Bulldogs are already in the bonus with 13:35 to go in the first half. 

• Mississippi State with 10 of its 17 points coming from offensive rebounds. Bulldogs are also an impressive 7-8 from the line early. 

• Another possession, same story for Alabama. The defense gets a stop, but can't get the rebound, and the Bulldogs get two more second-chance points to retake the lead at 15-14. 

• 14:25- Alabama retakes the lead on a Shackelford and-1. 14-13 Alabama

• 14:43- Two free throws from Iverson Molinar give Mississippi State the 13-11 lead. Alabama already up to five team fouls barely over five minutes into the game. 

• 15:44- Out of the timeout, Alabama gives up another offensive rebound leaving to two more second chance points for the Bulldogs. Game tied 11-11.

• Alabama holds an 11-9 lead at the first media timeout. Jaden Shackelford leads the offense early with seven points. Bulldogs already have three offensive rebounds that have led to six second chance points. 

• 16:11- Jahvon Quinerly picks up his second foul early in the game while fouling Shakeel Moore on a shot he makes. Moore converts the free throw, and Alabama's lead is cut to 11-9. 

• 16:59- Shackelford stays hot, this time making his first 3 of the game. Alabama leads 9-6. 

• 17:45- Shackelford remains aggressive driving to the paint and scores again. Alabama up 6-4.

• After the Bulldogs get an offensive board on a free throw miss, and Garrison Brooks lays it in, Alabama ties the game with a dunk from Charles Bediako. 

• 19:15- Jaden Shackelford opens the scoring with a drive to the paint, and Alabama holds an early 2-0 lead. 

• Mississippi State wins the opening tip, and we are underway. 

Pregame

• Starting lineup for Alabama:
• Jahvon Quinerly
• Jaden Shackelford
• Keon Ellis
• Noah Gurley
• Charles Bediako
• Gurley starting in the four spot in place of Juwan Gary. 

• Starting lineup for Mississippi State:
• Iverson Molinar
• Shakeel Moore
• Garrison Brooks
• D.J. Jeffries
• Tolu Smith
• Smith has been out since late December with a pinky toe injury. 

• Tonight's officials: Terry Wymer, Chuck Jones and Todd Austin

• Forward James Rojas is once again dressed out and participating in warmups. On Friday, Oats said it is likely that Rojas could return for the LSU game on Wednesday. 
• A good number of Alabama fans have made the trip on Highway 82 over to Humphrey Coliseum.