Cowbell Corner

Instant Reaction: Auburn’s Second-Half Run Sends Mississippi State Home

Mississippi State led early in the second half, but Auburn flipped the game with a dominant run to win 79-61 in the SEC Tournament opener.
Taylor Hodges|
Auburn Tigers forward Sebastian Williams-Adams (33) dribbles against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Bridgestone Arena.
Auburn Tigers forward Sebastian Williams-Adams (33) dribbles against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

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Mississippi State BulldogsAuburn Tigers

Auburn and Mississippi State brought plenty of tension into their SEC Tournament opener, and the emotions showed early.

KeShawn Murphy and Josh Hubbard traded moments in a physical first half that stayed tight until the break. But after Mississippi State briefly stretched the lead early in the second half, Auburn flipped the game with a dominant run behind Kevin Overton’s shooting and a surge on the glass from Murphy.

Turnovers and a cold stretch from the Bulldogs sealed it as Auburn pulled away late for a 79-61 win

Here’s how one writer reacted to each half of Wednesday’s first-round SEC Tournament game.

First Half Reaction

It is clear there is some bad blood between Keshawn Murphy and Josh Hubbard, and really between Murphy and the rest of the Mississippi State program.

Hubbard made his point the last time these teams met in Starkville, scoring 46 points with 35 of them coming in the first half and showing plenty of emotion late.

On Wednesday, Murphy answered back. He was the best player on the floor for the first few minutes of the SEC Tournament opener, scoring all seven of Auburn’s early points. He also picked up a foul guarding Hubbard and then a technical after saying something directly toward the Bulldogs bench.

That sequence forced him to sit most of the first half, and he finished with only five minutes played. Even so, Murphy still ended the half tied with Kevin Overton for Auburn’s scoring lead at seven points, which says plenty about the Tigers struggles. Auburn shot just 35.7 percent from the field.

Mississippi State’s three point halftime lead is partly because Hubbard is not having another career night. He scored 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting and went 2-of-6 from deep. Jayden Epps has been the best secondary option with seven points.

Most of the half stayed within one possession until Mississippi State finally created some separation with a 10 to 2 run, pushing the lead to 10 with 2:34 left. Auburn immediately punched back with a 7 to 0 run to close the half, cutting the Bulldogs lead to 33-30.

It is anyone’s game, and with the way the first half went, it would not be surprising to see more emotion from Murphy, Hubbard, or anyone else if things stay tight late.

Second Half Reaction

Well, we have seen this script before. Auburn won the game by 18 points, but only after Mississippi State built up an early, sizeable lead.

Mississippi State came out of the halftime break on fire, opening with a 5-0 run and stretching the lead to eight. That was the last moment anyone in maroon felt comfortable.

Auburn answered with a 21-2 run, fueled by a red‑hot Kevin Overton from three (5 of 7) and a much more active KeShawn Murphy, who grabbed seven rebounds in the second half alone.

Turnovers were the real difference. Mississippi State gave it away nine times, and Auburn turned those mistakes into 12 points. The final margin was larger than that, but those 12 points tell the story.

It also did not help that Josh Hubbard never found a rhythm after halftime. He made only three field goals and did not hit a three, although he still led the Bulldogs with nine points.

And the emotions that simmered in the first half finally boiled over. In the final 30 seconds, Murphy threw down a hard dunk and let out a yell, then followed Hubbard down the floor and blocked his shot.

So in their personal back‑and‑forth, Hubbard got his shots in early, but Murphy had the last word.

Mississippi State Leaders

  • Points: Josh Hubbard, 22
  • Rebounds: Quincy Ballard/Achor Achor, 8
  • Assists: Josh Hubbard, 3
  • Steals: Shawn Jones Jr./Jayden Epps/Ja'Borri McGhee, 1
  • Blocks: Shawn Jones Jr., 3

Next Up

The offseason.

There's no tomorrow for Mississippi State. Barring the Bulldogs accepting an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) or College Basketball Invitational (CBI), that was the last time we'll see this version of this team.

It's a disappointing end to a season that had high hopes. Now comes an offseason that'll have a lot fans looking to see who will be coming next season.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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