Five Takeaways from Mississippi State's Upset Over No. 8 Auburn
The Mississippi State men's basketball team upset No. 8 Auburn 64-58 on Saturday. This is the Bulldogs' second victory over an AP Top 10 team this season, as they took down then-No. 5 Tennessee on Jan. 10.
This matchup had many factors that influenced the outcome in Starkville, Miss. Here are five takeaways:
Cameron Matthews Proved to be Difference Maker
We selected forward Cameron Matthews as Mississippi State's X-Factor ahead of Saturday due to his astounding versatility on both ends of the floor, as he's top-3 on the team in every stat category.
Matthews scored the game's first basket and his impact skyrocketed from there. He added six more points by halftime and shot an efficient 4-of-6 from the field. Matthews also snatched a block and six rebounds, with five of them coming off of the offensive glass.
Towards the end of the first half, Mississippi State had missed 10 of their last 11 field goal attempts, but a breakaway dunk by Matthews after a great defensive play brought the Starkville crowd on its feet. That newfound momentum helped the Bulldogs force a shot clock violation on the very next possession and they closed the half on a strong note.
Matthews' one standout flaw from Saturday was his 2-of-6 results from the charity stripe. However, late in the second half, he rebounded one of his own misses and slammed it home.
The senior ended the game with 14 points, 11 total rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. A truly versatile performance.
Josh Hubbard Shined in First Career Start
Freshman guard Josh Hubbard has been one of Mississippi State's top offensive threats throughout the season as he came into Saturday second on the team in points. Nevertheless, he's done all of this as the Bulldogs' sixth man.
Hubbard earned his first career start against Auburn, but only scored two points in the first half on 1-of-5 from the field, including 0-of-3 from downtown.
However, the SEC's three-point field goals leader shined in the back-and-forth second half, as he ended the game with a team-high 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-9 from behind the arc.
Offensive Rebounds (somewhat) Made up for Poor Free-Throw Shooting
Mississippi State came into Saturday with the second-lowest free throw percentage in the SEC and they struggled from the charity stripe once again, as they converted on just 9-of-18 attempts. Auburn, on the other hand, hit a stellar 14-of-16, which made the game that much closer.
The Bulldogs somewhat made up for it through their offensive rebounding prowess, as they logged 14 compared to Auburn's six. Both teams entered the game tied for fourth in the conference for total rebounding average (39.2), but Mississippi State dominated in this category 45-30.
D.J. Jeffries and Tolu Smith III vs. Johni Broome
An argument could be made that the most anticipated player matchup going into this game was Mississippi State leading scorer Tolu Smith III against Auburn's elite two-way big man Johni Broome.
But that wouldn't be the case as both of them were double-teamed when they had the ball. Smith, who finished with nine points, was often forced to pass outside instead of applying his signature force on the interior. Broome, who finished with 14 points, also had to constantly kick it out to the arc, as fellow forward D.J. Jeffries' defensive help allowed the Auburn star to shoot four fewer times than his average night.
As previously stated, Matthews' versatility on both ends of the court has helped him stand out among Mississippi State throughout the season. But Jeffries' defensive abilities against the 1-through-5 have been remarkable and Saturday was no different. He also recorded a team-high 12 rebounds.
All-Around Stout Defense
Besides Matthews, both teams struggled to put points on the board in the first half, as the score going into the locker rooms was just 21-21. This was rather good defense than poor offense though as most of each team's misses were heavily contested.
Mississippi State held Auburn to just 7-of-25 from the field in the first half, including 2-10 from deep. Allowing free throws has been a small issue for the Bulldogs over the past few games, but Jeffries and Smith's efforts inside limited Auburn to just six attempts from the charity stripe.
Both defenses backed off a bit in the second half as each team traded buckets and Auburn found ways to get to the line. But when it came down to the final minutes, Mississippi State was as stout as possible in protecting its uncomfortable lead to complete the upset.
In terms of the game as a whole, Auburn's 58 points were its lowest of the season.
