Mississippi State Overwhelmed Early in Loss at No. 17 Alabama

Mississippi State couldn’t keep up with Alabama’s shooting barrage in a 100-75 road loss that was decided well before halftime.

Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (3) and Alabama guard Houston Mallette (95) defend Mississippi State forward Achor Achor (99) as he works for a shot in the lane at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama defeated Mississippi State 100-75. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mississippi State walked into Coleman Coliseum knowing exactly what kind of night it could turn into.

Alabama at home is a math problem most SEC teams can’t solve, and the Bulldogs didn’t come close to cracking it. By the time the Tide hit double‑digit threes before the under‑eight timeout, it was clear this wasn’t going to be one of those surprise‑you road performances. It was going to be survival mode.

The frustrating part for Mississippi State is that nothing about the night felt complicated. Alabama made a lot of shots and Mississippi State didn’t have many answers.

The Tide hit 22 threes, ran the floor, played with rhythm, and basically turned the first half into a shooting clinic.

The Bulldogs trailed by 30 at the break, and honestly, that number told the whole story. The game was decided long before halftime adjustments or second‑half energy could matter.

There were small stretches where the Bulldogs looked like they might steady themselves. Achor Achor had a few strong moments, including a personal 5‑0 run in the second half. Jayden Epps, overcoming whatever injury he suffered Saturday against South Carolina, knocked down a couple of shots. King Grace gave them some spark, too.

But every time Mississippi State found something, Alabama immediately took it back with another three, another transition bucket, another reminder of the gap between the teams on this particular night.

That’s really the theme: Mississippi State didn’t quit, but they were never in control of anything.

Alabama dictated pace, spacing, tempo and everything ele.

And when a team is that comfortable offensively, especially in its own building, you’re basically trying to keep the score respectable. The Bulldogs did make the final margin look a little better late, but the 100-75 loss still stings because it felt so familiar. Coleman Coliseum hasn’t been kind to the Bulldogs, and this was another chapter in that story.

This loss doesn’t mean Mississippi State’s season is spiraling. It’s already in a place where the path forward is brutally narrow.

At 13-15 overall and 5-10 in SEC play, the Bulldogs aren’t playing for at‑large hopes anymore. Those evaporated weeks ago. What’s left is the long shot: stringing together something improbable in Nashville.

That’s the reality now.

Mississippi State has shown flashes this season, enough to tease what this roster could be when everything clicks, but flashes don’t build résumés. They don’t erase nights like this one, and they don’t move you up the bubble.

The Bulldogs are going to need four straight days of their best basketball in the SEC Tournament, which is something they haven’t come close to sustaining this season, to even sniff the NCAA Tournament conversation again.

So the focus shifts. Not to panic, not to blame, but to the only thing left: finding some version of consistency before March arrives.

Mississippi State doesn’t have to be perfect to make a run, but they can’t afford many more nights where the game is effectively over before halftime.

Mississippi State Top Performers

• Points: Achor Achor, 18
• Rebounds: Jamarion Davis-Fleming, 10
• Assists: Jayden Epps/Josh Hubbard, 4
• Steals: Josh Hubbard/Achor Achor, 2
• Blocks: Jamarion Davis-Fleming, 2

Next Up

Mississippi State has just a couple of days to regroup before its next SEC matchup. The Bulldogs will host Missouri at noon Saturday before entering the final week of the regular season. That game will air on SEC Network.