At long last, Mississippi State basketball has a signature win on its resume. After agonizing close calls earlier in the year, the Bulldogs were able to seal the deal Tuesday night, defeating the #7 Texas A&M Aggies 70-54 in Starkville. State's defense was suffocating, and on the offensive end, they did enough to pull away in the final minutes.
The Bulldogs are now 19-7 on the season, 7-6 in SEC play.
Mississippi State got its best defensive effort of the season
Texas A&M is not a particularly good offensive team, but they've got a methodology that works for them on that end of the floor - dominate the offensive glass for second chance points, get to the free throw line, and trust Wade Taylor IV to hit some shots.
The MSU defense kept the Aggies 0-3. A&M was limited to 11 offensive rebounds and managed just six second chance points. They attempted just 13 free throws. And Taylor IV never got going, with just 11 points on 4-14 shooting.
State didn't allow A&M to get the ball inside, holding them to just 18 points in the paint. They held them under 36% shooting and forced an incredible 17 steals for a difference-making 22 points off turnovers. In a huge game, the Bulldogs got the type of defensive effort expected of a Chris Jans' team.
The Bulldogs hit the shots needed to put away the game
Putting up points on an elite Texas A&M defense is a tall task, but they have, at times, been susceptible against the three. State hasn't been great shooting from distance this season, but they have players who are more than capable of connecting. They were going to have to hit those shots to beat the Aggies.
Early on, they couldn't. State had plenty of good looks from three but simply weren't making them. They were 2-11 from three in the first half. But then in the second half, those shots began to fall. Josh Hubbard found his groove in route to a 25 point outing. And Claudell Harris, who's found new life now coming off the bench, caught fire with four made threes. State ended the game a perfectly acceptable 9-25 from distance, and those big shots in the second half, coupled with elite defense, is why they pulled away for the win.
Mississippi State basketball is a lock to reach the NCAA Tournament
With this win, Mississippi State has effectively locked themselves into the NCAA Tournament. Their resume is strong enough that even a late season collapse wouldn't be enough to keep them out of March Madness (not that they want to test that theory). Officially, the Bulldogs can now play for seeding and try to improve their position in the bracket as much as possible down the stretch.