Three Takeaways From Mississippi State's 69-62 Victory Against Texas A&M
The Mississippi State men’s basketball team walked away with a much-needed win against Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon in the Humphrey Coliseum, taking down the Aggies, 69-62.
The Hump was packed out in support of Mississippi State taking on what was the No. 25 team in the country at the time, and the Bulldogs did not disappoint.
Here are three takeaways from a game that kept everyone on their toes.
1. Defensive dominance for the Bulldogs
Although MSU’s offense seemed to be shaky off and on throughout the game, the defense stayed consistent.
In the first half, Mississippi State secured eight defensive rebounds and five steals. Dashawn Davis had quick hands as he snatched three of the eight rebounds and two steals in the first.
During such a back-and-forth contest, MSU seemed to always figure out how to get the ball back in their court. The Bulldogs only trailed behind the Aggies for less than seven minutes for the entirety of the game.
The Bulldogs left the Aggies scoreless for almost 13 minutes during a painful second half for Texas A&M.
Mississippi State totaled 12 steals and 31 rebounds for the game, with D.J. Jeffries and Tolu Smith leading the team with six rebounds each.
The successful defensive plays on the Bulldogs’ behalf held the Aggies to 39.5% shooting from the field and trailing by seven as the game concluded.
2. Tolu Smith a standout once again
The tightly contested game required a complete team effort from the Bulldogs in order to execute a win. However, starting forward Tolu Smith played a great part in Mississippi State’s victory against the Aggies.
Smith scored a team-high 17 points with 75% shooting from the field. He recorded six rebounds and two steals for the game while going 5-of-8 from the free-throw line.
Smith was able to consistently put up points when Mississippi State needed them most; however, the Bulldogs fans’ electric energy seemed to be the factor that really pushed the team over the edge.
3. The energy in the Humphrey Coliseum rose to the occasion
The fan base surrounding any sports team is always important, and Mississippi State fans displayed an unconditional amount of support for the Bulldogs in the Hump on Saturday.
The Humphrey Coliseum was filled to the brim before the game even started. Although the Aggies were favored to take the win, Bulldogs fans were not backing down.
As the team struggled off and on throughout the game, the crowd refused to throw in the towel. The excitement and positive energy were able to reach the court. The atmosphere was electric and the scoreboard reflected it.
Head coach Chris Jans agreed that the thousands of people cheering on the Bulldogs is what really got the job done.
"I just don't know if we win this game if we don't have that kind of crowd," Jans said. "I don't know if we win this game if they don't get into the game the way they did and will us to get out in front and make the other team call timeouts. I don't think you can place enough significance on that and how valuable it was."
It is no secret that home-court advantage can truly be beneficial, but what happened in the Humphrey Coliseum was way more than that.
Mississippi State fans will have one more opportunity this season to root for their team during senior night at home in the Hump. The Bulldogs will host South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks on Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT.
