Mississippi State Escapes Murray State 85-81 in Tale of Two Halves

The Mississippi State men's basketball team produced its best offensive performance of the season in their last game against Tulane, and it would be very tough to replicate it against Murray State on Wednesday night.

The Bulldogs' first half performance made it look like they'd dominate once again, but the winning 85-81 score changed the expected outcome in the form of two opposite halves.

The Bulldogs kept it close with the Racers in the first 10 minutes of the game, as an extensive amount of free throws and jump shots were each of their main ways of scoring. Mississippi State's versatile forward Cameron Matthews even got in foul trouble early and had to spend some time on the bench.

Both teams rarely missed in the back-and-forth opening minutes, but when Murray State started to make mistakes and miss a couple of shots, the Bulldogs took advantage.

For a roughly 7-minute period, Mississippi State converted on a jaw-dropping 15-of-16 attempts, including 13 consecutive shots. Starting guard Shakeel Moore was a heavy contributor in the first half, as he ended the period with 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting--his highest point total in a full game this season.

Mississippi State flipped the momentum with each shot falling through the net. The scoring spree peaked with a ferocious alley-oop dunk by Trey Fort (assisted by Dashawn Davis) that received national attention. Murray State head coach Steve Proehm even received a technical foul after the play as he was irate.

Dashawn Davis ➡️ Trey Fort to finish off the alley 💪

(via @HailStateMBK)pic.twitter.com/42t0yX01kh
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 14, 2023

Mississippi State ended the half up 53-41, but once led by 19 points. The margin was closer than expected due to Murray State's consistent shooting.

Mississippi State missed a couple of attempts to close the first half, and it only got worse to start the second. This time, Murray State took advantage, as the Racers went on a worrisome 15-0 run over a 5-6 minute period to cut the score to 67-64.

A good chunk of Murray State's points in the comeback stemmed from Mississippi State turning the ball over, as the Bulldogs did so six times in the second half. Additionally, when Mississippi State would miss shots, the Racers were quick to finish on the other end, as guards Rob Perry, Jacobi Wood and Quincy Anderson led the way with a combined 56 points throughout the game.

Davis ended the scoring drought with a pair of free throws, and the game would go back to the way it started, as both teams alternated points. Murray State even took the lead twice, with its last coming in the final minute.

However, Matthews made sure his team would avoid the blown lead, as he threw down an alley-oop slam from Davis to go up 82-81 with 28 seconds remaining. Mississippi State forward D.J. Jeffries would seal the game with three free throws on two separate occasions.

CAMERON MATTHEWS SLAMS IT HOME 🔨

Mississippi State hangs on for the win in Starkville 🐶

(via @HailStateMBK)pic.twitter.com/enHCHHNCKo
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 14, 2023

Moore led the Bulldogs in scoring with 16 points, but sixth-man Josh Hubbard, who was also a big part of their first half run, was a close-second with 15. Matthews added 13, while Jeffries tallied 10.

Mississippi State moves up to 8-2 while Murray State slides down to 3-6.

The Bulldogs' next matchup will be on Dec. 17, when they'll host North Texas at 3 p.m. CT.