Cowbell Corner

Josh Hubbard’s 42 Not Enough as Mississippi State Falls to Georgia

Georgia hit 17 three-pointers to overcome a 42-point night from Josh Hubbard and beat Mississippi State 102-96.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) reacts during the final seconds of the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Humphrey Coliseum.
Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) reacts during the final seconds of the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Humphrey Coliseum. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Mississippi State BulldogsGeorgia Bulldogs

Mississippi State doesn’t lose many games when Josh Hubbard goes for 40-plus. The last time he hit that mark, a 46-point outburst against Auburn, the Bulldogs won comfortably.

To beat the SEC’s other Bulldog team on Saturday, Mississippi State needed a similar performance and nearly got it.

Hubbard poured in 42 points in the regular-season finale. The problem was that this was the kind of game where he probably had to hit 50 for Mississippi State to survive.

Georgia still walked out of Humphrey Coliseum with a 102-96 win despite Hubbard’s heroics. He went 16-of-27 from the field and 7-of-15 from three, carrying the scoring load but not quite enough to match what came from the other bench.

And it wasn’t as if Hubbard was doing it alone. Ja’Borri McGhee added 20 points, Jayden Epps chipped in 13, and Quincy Ballard scored eight in the paint. As a team, Mississippi State shot 58.5 percent from the field.

So how did Mississippi State lose?

For one, while Hubbard was red-hot from deep, Georgia’s entire roster caught fire. The Athens Bulldogs hit 17-of-29 from three. Mississippi State went 9-of-23, with Hubbard accounting for seven of those makes.

Another issue was the game turning into a full-blown shootout. Mississippi State can score — Hubbard makes sure of that — but defense is what’s carried this program to three straight NCAA Tournaments. Georgia had five players in double figures, committed fewer turnovers, and went 23-of-26 at the free-throw line.

The way the game unfolded wasn’t unfamiliar to Mississippi State fans. The Bulldogs came out aggressive, pushed the pace, and shot their way to a 47-42 halftime lead. Their guards dictated tempo early and forced Georgia to keep up.

But once the second half started, Georgia found rhythm, found open shooters, and turned the game into a track meet. Mississippi State could run, but Georgia had more gunslingers — and that was the difference.

Hubbard gave Mississippi State everything he had, but the Bulldogs needed more than one hot hand. If they want the season to last more than one more game, they’ll need to rediscover the defensive edge that’s defined them.

Mississippi State Leaders

  • Points: Josh Hubbard, 42
  • Rebounds: Jayden Epps/Jamarion Davis-Fleming, 6
  • Assists: Jayden Epps/Josh Hubbard, 4
  • Steals: Shaw Jones Jr., 3
  • Blocks: Quincy Ballard, 2

Next Up

Mississippi State will take a five-game losing streak with it to the SEC Tournament in Nashville. With three more SEC games to be played Saturday, seeding hasn’t been finalized, but the Bulldogs are guaranteed to be playing in Wednesday’s first round.

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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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