Second half rally leads to Mississippi State win against Utah

The Bulldogs trailed by as much as 17 points in the second half before coming back to defeat the Utes 82-74 late Saturday night.

Mississippi State Bulldogs guard King Grace (23) along with guard Dellquan Warren (1) and forward Sergej MacUra (11) celebrate a win over the Utah Utes after the game at Delta Center. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Mississippi State erased a 17-point deficit to earn an 82-74 road victory over Utah on Saturday night at the Huntsman Center.

The Utes raced out to an early lead and appeared in control after building a 40-23 advantage late in the first half before taking a 42-–32 lead into the break.

The Bulldogs, however, steadily chipped away and seized momentum in the second half.

A decisive 15–0 run midway through the period propelled State in front, 60-56, with 9:24 remaining and set the stage for a back-and-forth finish.

“Everyone that follows us, we just weren’t playing very well,” Mississippi State coach Chris Jans said. “But we had spirited huddles (in the second half) and we had great energy in practice yesterday. I thought we were flat and when you play at that altitude, it makes a difference.

“The compete part was making me upset and we had some spirited timeouts. For whatever reason, we got a break or two and the ball bounced our way. The confidence came back and they were playing harder and competed more and they figured out way. We probably played more zone than I’ve ever played but they did a pretty good job in it.”

Utah briefly reclaimed the lead at 70–67 with just under five minutes to play, but Mississippi State responded with a clutch stretch of offense.

A Josh Hubbard layup and consecutive baskets from Ja’Borri McGhee pushed the Bulldogs back in front by five with 2:36 left.

After Utah trimmed the margin, Hubbard answered with a floater inside the final two minutes to make it 76-72.

Mississippi State then forced a turnover, and Shawn Jones Jr. punctuated the night with a dunk in the final minute to seal the win.

“We needed it,” Jans said. “It didn’t feel great in the first half. Hopefully, this is something when you get a big win on the road and it is a comeback variety, it can bond you a little bit better. We got two more games before the break and they are both at home. So we are going to look forward to playing at home, that’s for sure.”

McGhee led all scorers with a career-high 29 points, shooting 11-of-16 from the floor and 5-of-7 from three-point range. Jayden Epps added 20 points, while Hubbard finished with 13.

Quincy Ballard anchored the defense with seven rebounds and three blocks. Mississippi State’s bench provided a major spark, outscoring Utah’s reserves 39–12.

The Bulldogs also forced 14 turnovers and converted those into 22 points.

Mississippi State returns home to host Long Beach State on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at Humphrey Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on SECN+.