Mississippi State’s Struggles Continue with Another Lost Lead

Mississippi State has been facing a concerning pattern in the past two weeks. The Bulldogs have built double-digit leads against strong opponents like Kentucky and Alabama in the first half, only to see those leads evaporate as their opponents made a comeback to secure victory. This trend continued on Saturday during their matchup against their fiercest rival, Ole Miss.

The game started with Mississippi State taking control early, leading by as many as 11 points at the midpoint of the first half. However, they were unable to maintain that advantage, entering halftime with just a three-point lead. Ultimately, the Bulldogs fell 68-67 to the Rebels, marking their third consecutive loss after holding a double-digit lead in the first half.

The loss is particularly painful for several reasons. Not only did it come against Ole Miss, but it also occurred on a night when Josh Hubbard, the team’s leading scorer, struggled significantly. Instead of being the go-to player, Jayden Epps led the way with 14 points, while Hubbard managed only 13 points. His performance was underwhelming, as he shot 3-for-16 from the field, 2-for-8 on three-pointers, and 5-for-10 from the free-throw line.

To add to the frustration, neither team had a great night from the field. Mississippi State shot 37% from the floor, and Ole Miss wasn’t much better, hitting 40.8%. The first half ended with the Bulldogs ahead 30-27, but both teams entered the game averaging over 75 points per game. Despite this high-scoring potential, neither side was able to pull away in the second half.

Ole Miss managed its largest lead of the game at five points with 2:14 remaining in the second half. However, the lead didn’t last long. Hubbard hit a long three-pointer to bring the score to 66-65, and then made two free throws after drawing a foul. This brought him to 5-of-8 from the free-throw line, but his overall shooting remained inconsistent, finishing 5-of-10 from the line.

After the free throws, Ole Miss called a timeout and set up an inbounds play that almost worked perfectly, but Patton Pinkins missed the shot. Mississippi State grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Hubbard, who drove to the basket and drew another foul. He made the free throws, bringing the score to 68-67 with 12 seconds left. However, Hubbard missed both free throws on the next possession, allowing Ole Miss to get the rebound and quickly foul Storr.

Storr missed his free throw, and Mississippi State grabbed the rebound, running the same play again. This time, Hubbard got the ball, drove to the lane, but didn’t draw a foul and missed the layup. Ole Miss secured the rebound with one second left, and the buzzer sounded, sealing the loss.

Looking Ahead

With this loss, Mississippi State now finds itself on a three-game losing streak, sitting at 10-8 overall and 2-3 in SEC games. The Bulldogs will look to bounce back Wednesday when they take on Texas A&M on the road. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. on the SEC Network.

For more updates on Mississippi State, check out the following:

• With transfer portal closed, how has Mississippi State done so far?
• Everything to know about Ole Miss at Mississippi State on Saturday
• Good news, bad news delivered to Mississippi State on portal window’s last day
• One team in, one team out: Where Mississippi State stands in bracketology