Looking to rebound from a loss, Mississippi State (11-13, 4-7 SEC) dropped their second straight SEC game to Alabama (15-9, 5-6 SEC), in the Hump, 55-51. In a game that resembled the last two seasons, the Bulldogs struggled each and every possession on the offensive end of the floor. It was a very disappointing performance in a game the Dogs really needed to win after a poor showing on the road Saturday.
The Bulldogs actually out shot the Crimson Tide (37%-32.7%) but this is an indication of where the stats do give an accurate portrayal of the game. The Crimson Tide were led by Shannon Hale (14 points) and Levi Randolph (13 points). If not for the ice-cold shooting of Alabama, this game could have been much worse. As even as the stats were, Alabama out played Mississippi State by a fair margin. The Tide were moving the ball and getting open shots and ran something that resembled an offense.
The same could not be said for Mississippi State. While a late flurry made the game tight and was within one possession for most of the game, the Bulldogs struggled greatly to get good shots. They were led by Gavin Ware, who scored 13, but only on 3-of-13 shooting. The difference between the two teams was that Mississippi State had trouble getting a shot period, while Alabama just had an off night shooting. On many occasions, the Bulldogs would swing the ball around the perimeter and have an open look, but would drive and turn the ball over or take a bad shot. The Bulldogs shot their low percentage because many of their shots were late in the shot clock, panicked looks, which will lead to a low percentage. Over the last few games, the Bulldogs found success on offense by not thinking and taking the first open available shot. We definitely did not play with urgency tonight and it cost us on the offensive end.
The announced crowd of 6,386 did not have much to cheer about as the game was poorly played by both sides. However, for most of the night, while the game was still very much in question, you could hear a pin drop inside the Hump. The team feeds off the energy and could very much use the support of the home crowd behind them. Tonight was no doubt frustrating but we’ve seen that this team has potential. It can be fixed and there is no need to quit supporting this squad.
With the loss in back to back games, the game Saturday at Missouri is even bigger. The Bulldogs have hit a rough stretch and need to get back on track quickly. A loss Saturday, a potential third straight could undo all the positive the team had built over the past month. Tip for the game is set 3:00 PM and will be televised on ESPNU.