Duos Dazzled in Mississippi State's Loss to No. 16 Kentucky
The Mississippi State men's basketball team was on the other end of an edge-of-your-seat 91-89 game against No. 16 Kentucky that ended with a buzzer-beater by Wildcats guard Reed Sheppard. This loss lowered the Bulldogs' record to 19-9 (8-7 SEC) and ended their five-game win streak.
This sold-out matchup had many factors that influenced Tuesday night's outcome in Starkville, Miss., but this game was considered a thriller largely due to two players from each side.
This game had no shortage of points on the board as both teams scored more on Tuesday than on their typical nights. However, these duos were responsible for a good chunk of the scoring.
First up is the overshadowed parts of these duos in Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves and Mississippi State forward Tolu Smith III, who each tallied 21 points.
Going into this game, five Wildcats were averaging 10-plus points per game, but there's a clear big three among them—Reeves and fellow guards Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, who each come off of the bench.
Dillingham's received the most national attention over the past few weeks as his draft stock constantly rises. However, two early fouls shortened his first half significantly and after just 16 total minutes on the floor, he scored nine points and only made two shots. That said, his second make gave Kentucky its first lead of the game with 4:24 remaining after trailing by 12 early in the second half.
Reeves took advantage of his extra time on the floor as he converted on 8-of-15 attempts from the field, including 2-of-7 from deep. His subpar start from behind the arc sparked a new interest for him to drive into the paint and also spot up from the midrange area. Reeves scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half mostly using these methods.
Smith, who came into this game leading the Bulldogs in points per game, shined once again as he shot an extremely efficient 9-of-13 from the field. The big man has made his success under the basket/in the paint and Tuesday night was no different as practically all of his attempts were from this area. Contrary to Reeves, Smith was about even in his scoring output for each half.
Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard also made noise in each half, but he still scored 21 of his 34 in the second. The freshman's methods of putting points on the board were much different than his teammate though, as he notched a career-highs with seven three-pointers on 14 attempts and 34 points overall.
Even though Mississippi State was down by eight with 58 seconds remaining, Hubbard was able to lead an improbable comeback with three makes from behind the arc, with the last tying the game at 89 with 11 seconds left. On Monday, he was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for a school record fifth time. This performance certainly would've helped his case to win it once again next Monday, but Sheppard's game-winning runner just before the buzzer was just one of many reasons why he'll be favored.
Sheppard entered the game with the best percentage (51) from behind the arc in the SEC and that shouldn't change after his 4-of-7 performance from that area on Tuesday night. He led Kentucky with nine points on 3-of-4 from deep in the first half, but even though he finished the game with a career-high 32, only one three-point attempt fell through in the second half.
Sheppard simply could not be stopped from the midrange area. Whether it was catch-and-shoot, dribbling to find open space or even launching it while under pressure, that ball only had the net as its location as he finished the game shooting a jaw-dropping 11-of-14 from the field. Additionally, Sheppard recorded team-highs with seven assists and five rebounds and also snatched two steals and two blocks.
