Mississippi State Basketball: State falls in hard-fought battle at #18 Alabama

Mississippi State Basketball: Mississippi State 73, #18 Alabama 81

Mississippi State battled #18 Alabama hard on the road but ultimately came up short when the buzzer sounded, losing by a score of 81-73. The Bulldogs (9-7, 4-4 SEC) dropped their second straight, while the Crimson Tide (13-3, 8-0 SEC) extended their winning streak to nine and stayed unbeaten in SEC play.

Lead changes were the major theme in the first half. Alabama got their points from outside, while the Bulldogs got their buckets from inside the paint. Mississippi State led by as many as six in the early going, taking a 19-13 lead with eleven minutes to go.

The Tide got back in it with the three-ball, and both teams went back and forth for the rest of the half. An 11-4 Alabama run late in the first half put the Tide up 40-33. A pair of DJ Stewart free throws with a couple of seconds remaining cut Alabama’s lead to just five heading into the locker room.

Stewart went for 15 in the opening 20 minutes, getting most of his points attacking the rim. The Crimson Tide went 9-19 from outside, with Josh Primo leading the way with 12 first-half points on 4-5 from three.

A quick 4-0 run out of the break gave Alabama a 44-35 lead, forcing a Ben Howland timeout. After Primo’s layup put Alabama up double-digits at 49-38, State got back in it with three consecutive baskets to cut the lead back down to five.

Deivon Smith’s three-pointer with the shot clock winding down drew Mississippi State even closer at 54-51 with 13:38 to go. Alabama continued to respond, as Jaden Shackelford’s basket with 10:32 left gave them a 60-51 lead.

Cameron Matthews’s steal and layup trimmed the Tide’s lead back to five with just under nine minutes to play. Four straight points from Herbert Jones pushed Alabama’s advantage back to double-digits with 6:10 left.

The Bulldogs would not go away. Iverson Molinar hit his first three-pointer of the night to cut the Tide lead back to five with three minutes to go. Once Matthews finished a missed Stewart three, Mississippi State again got within one possession, cutting the lead to 76-73.

However, on the other end, John Petty Jr.’s dagger three came with just over 30 seconds to go. Stewart missed a three on the other end, ending State’s chances at a comeback. A dunk from Primo ended the game, giving Alabama the 81-73 win.

Mississippi State got great play from the backcourt duo of DJ Stewart and Iverson Molinar. Stewart led MSU with 27 points, a career-high in conference play. Molinar added 19, with Tolu Smith finishing with eight points and nine rebounds.

Alabama shot well from beyond the arc yet again, hitting 14-34 from three to lead them to the win. All five starters finished in double-figures, with Herbert Jones leading the way with 17 points. Primo finished with 16, while Petty Jr. and Shackelford both added in 12.

Mississippi State will again be on the road on Tuesday, this time against #6 Tennessee. The game is set for 6 PM CT and will be on the SEC Network.