Mississippi State Men's Basketball Fall Short Again, This Time Against Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, TX - The Mississippi State Bulldogs have lost three in a row and lost their final road game of the season against Texas A&M 75-69.
Similar to the loss against No. 13 Auburn, the Bulldogs started the first half slow with sloppy play on both ends of the ball. This was a contributing factor to when a comeback is starting to mound, the first-half struggles hold MSU back.
Offensively, Josh Hubbard and Dashawn Davis got the Bulldogs back into the game and got the game with three points, but Hubbard became ice-cold in the second half. He finished with 24 points but it was on 9-23 shooting from the field and 5-18 from three. Davis was the hot hand all night scoring 15 points on 5-8 shooting and scoring four 3-pointers.
Tolu Smith III starting to get it going in the second half after being shut out with zero points and only 1 rebound. However, after finally getting himself he started to get into more foul trouble that troubled the Bulldogs all night.
For the game, the Bulldogs had 18 personal fouls and only attempted seven free throws. If you know anything about MSU, they have massive free throw problems but getting to the line was never an issue.
Something positive from the game is that D.J. Jefferies seems to be back into peak form before he went down with an injury that kept him out for a few games. He finished the game with 12 rebounds and was a positive contribution off the bench.
The Bulldogs will be at home for the final game of the regular season in a must-win against No. 17 South Carolina on Saturday (1:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network).
Second Half
This story will be regularly updated throughout the game.
Mississippi State Final Box Score
Texas A&M Final Box Score
Final: Mississippi State 69, Texas A&M 75
0:37.2 - Hubbard forces a shot but he has been cold after sparking the comeback. It has been the others for the Aggies tonight that have made their impact on the game. The Aggies run the clock down and take the victory.
1:33 - The Bulldogs have made the game a one-possession game. Hubbard scores and makes a nice pass to Matthews to cut the lead down to 3. Mississippi State 69, Texas A&M 72
3:54 - Media timeout on the floor. The Bulldogs have kept the game close after making a valent comeback. Hubbard has been cold after scoring his last basket around the seven-minute mark. The rebounding in the second half has kept the Bulldogs close as they have been dominant on the glass in the second. Mississippi State 63, Texas A&M 68
5:09 - The Bulldogs are scratching and clawing themselves back into the game. They have played with more energy in the second half than the Aggies and are keeping the game close. Mississippi State 61, Texas 65
7:46 - Media timeout on the floor. Smith is getting himself into the game offensively but now is in foul trouble with four for the game. Hubbard has another game with 20-plus points and has started to lead the team back into the game. He has 22.
8:14 - The Bulldogs are still scoring and have gotten the game within five points. It is a 22-4 run for the Bulldogs as they have been scorching hot in the second half. Mississippi 56, Texas A&M 61
10:54 - Media timeout on the floor. The Bulldogs have flipped the defensive switch on and have cut the lead to 10. They are on a 13-0 run as the Aggies have gone cold from three. If the intensity and quick scoring stays in favor of the Bulldogs, they will have a chance to tie the game. Mississippi State 47, Texas A&M 57.
13:03- Hubbard and Davis are the only positives for the Bulldogs as they have strung a 9-0 run. Hubbard has 17 and Davis has 14. Mississippi State 43, Texas A&M 57
16:07 - It has almost been four minutes in the half and the Bulldogs have finally scored a bucket. Smith grabs an offensive rebound and finishes around the rim for his first points of the game. They also have a major turnover problem on the road. It is 12-7 on the turnover battle. Mississippi State 34, Texas A&M 55
17:33 - Chris Jans calls a timeout. The Bulldogs are struggling on offense. Hubbard is not in the game due to foul trouble but might be inserted back in. The Aggies have started the half on a 7-0 run. Mississippi State 32, Texas A&M 52
First Half
Halftime: Mississippi State 32, Texas A&M 45
Outside of Hubbard and Davis, there has been a lack of scoring on the offensive side of the Bulldogs. Smith has been taken out of the game with little impact in the game with only one rebound. Two people are in double figures for the Aggies with Obaseki and Washington both having 11 points.
Halftime Stats
1:22 - The scoring from the Bulldogs has not been consistent now that Hubbard is off the floor. The Aggies are lighting it up from the 3-point line in the first half. They are 7-9 from three and it is something that is a shocker as State has one of the best defensive 3-point ratings in the nation. Mississippi State 32, Texas A&M 43
3:09 - Media timeout on the floor. Just as quick as the Bulldogs tied the game is just as quick as the Aggies go on a run. Without Hubbard on the floor, the primary scoring option for this game has disappeared. Tolu Smith needs to make his presence known as he has 0 points for the game. Mississippi State 28, Texas A&M 38
4:32 - Mississippi State tied the game but back-to-back fouls and scores have put them back behind six. Hubbard has 14 points but now has three fouls. Mississippi State 26, Texas A&M 32
6:45 - A&M is forced to call a timeout. Hubbard has 12 points after hitting back-to-back threes and he has cut the lead to two. Davis has been a defensive menace on the other end giving State many chances. Mississippi State 22, Texas A&M 24
7:53 - Another media timeout on the floor and not much has happened since the last one. It is a rebounding battle and the Aggies are winning. Mississippi State 14, Texas A&M 24
9:42 - Media timeout on the floor. The Bulldogs are struggling to grab rebounds, something that helps them win games on most nights. It is a group effort by A&M as they are out-rebounding State 9-3 up until this point.
10:10 - The Bulldogs are starting to find their groove on offense, but the defense is struggling to keep up with Obaseki who has 11 points so far in the game. Mississippi State 14, Texas A&M 21
14:08 - Dashawn Davis has entered the game and has made back-to-back 3-pointers. He has sparked the offense, now the defense needs to come along and slow down the Aggies. Mississippi State 6, Texas A&M 13
15:35 - Media timeout on the floor. The Bulldogs are on pace to start the same way they did against Auburn. They are currently 0-4 from the field, but it is also as slow on the other end for the Aggies. Mississippi State 0, Texas A&M 7
16:51 - The game has started very slow for both teams. Over three minutes of play and only one field goal for both teams and that came from A&M. Mississippi State 0, Texas A&M 5
| Mississippi State Starting Five | Texas A&M Starting Five |
|---|---|
Shakeel Moore | Wade Taylor IV |
Shawn Jones Jr | Tyrece Radford |
Josh Hubbard | Manny Obaseki |
Tolu Smith III | Wildens Leveque |
Cameron Matthews | Solomon Washington |
COLLEGE STATION, TX - The Mississippi State Bulldogs are on the road for their final home game of the season against Texas A&M
The Bulldogs are on a two-game losing streak but a win against the Aggies will have them back on track as they have high aspirations for a deep playoff in the SEC and the NCAA tournament.
A victory would grant State another quad-one victory, and another 20-win season as they are looking to boost their resumes with a win tonight and a win on Saturday against No. 17 South Carolina.
