Three Takeaways from Mississippi State's Loss to Texas A&M
The Mississippi State men's basketball team came up short in its massive comeback effort to Texas A&M 75-69 on Wednesday night. This was the Bulldogs third-straight loss as they enter their final game of the regular season on Saturday.
This matchup had many factors that influenced the outcome in College Station, Texas. Here are three takeaways:
A Rough First Half
Mississippi State's offense certainly didn't click at the start of the game as it took the Bulldogs a full five minutes to put their first points on the board. Guard Dashawn Davis scored Mississippi State's first points on a three-pointer and did the same on the very next possession.
The Aggies continued to score, but now Mississippi State was able to keep up due to five-time SEC Freshman of the Week Josh Hubbard's 12 points by the 6:43 mark after hitting three shots from behind the arc.
However, Davis and Hubbard would only score one more time each to end the half but the rest of the team couldn't make up for it. Texas A&M went on a 19-6 run to close the opening period, which sent Mississippi State to the locker room down 45-32.
There weren't really any obvious differences in the first-half team stats, but Texas A&M's two fewer three-pointers on one less shot combined with its three more trips to the free throw line created enough momentum to spark and maintain the run.
An Early Misusage of Tolu Smith III
Part of Mississippi State's first half deficit was due to the lack of the ball in forward Tolu Smith III's hands. Smith entered this game averaging the Bulldogs' most points per game (16.9) and has played a pivotal role in the team's success in the paint this season.
Smith was a bit limited in the first half as he committed two fouls, but even when he was on the floor it didn't seem like he was a part of the offensive game plan. In the opening 20 minutes, Smith tallied zero points, but he also didn't attempt a single field goal.
Nevertheless, sensing that a loss was inevitable if it didn't begin to put the ball in the basket, Mississippi State made some alterations that involved the All-SEC candidate. Smith scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field in the second half, but it was too little too late in the Bulldogs' near 23-point comeback effort.
An Incredible Second Half Comeback
Similar to the first half, Mississippi State took nearly four minutes to score its first points of the second. The aforementioned Smith's premier field goal attempt of the game was the Bulldogs' first make of the second half. However, the Aggies were pouring it on before then as Mississippi State found itself quickly down 57-34.
Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans' delayed usage of Smith combined with Hubbard and Davis' return to shooting behind the arc helped spark a deep run. Additionally, the Bulldogs' defense was as stout as it possibly could be and the Aggies couldn't buy a bucket. Due to these factors, Mississippi State found itself down just 61-56 with under eight minutes to go.
The night that was formerly a game of runs was now one of a back-and-forth affair. Mississippi State cut within five points multiple times over the next few minutes and even within three twice in the last two minutes. Nevertheless, they simply ran out of time and the Aggies were able to pull away.
Mississippi State certainly deserves some credit for nearly completing a 23-point second-half comeback, but it could've been avoided if Smith was used more in the opening half and the rest of the team, besides Hubbard and Davis, who combined for 39 points, performed to their standard late in the first half and early in the second.
