Mississippi State basketball storms back in second half for big win over Utah

Mississippi State basketball secured an impressive victory Sunday afternoon against Utah. The Bulldogs overcame an 11-point halftime deficit to take down the Utes 78-73 on a pseudo-neutral court in Southaven. Here are some takeaways from a valuable early-season win...

Mississippi State's resiliency was on full display against Utah

The first half almost couldn't have gone worse for the Bulldogs. They shot less than 23% in the first half and were an atrocious 1-13 from three. They ended the first half missing their final 14 field goals. All the while Utah was finding success offensively without their top players scoring.

Whatever Chris Jans said at halftime worked. They opened the second half on a 22-5 run to take a 50-44 lead. More made shots allowed State to get into their half-court defense, which they were far more successful in than playing in transition. Even as Utah would find some momentum, regaining the lead on a few occasions, State would quickly retake control. And when the game was on the line late, they closed it out like a great team should.

That first half wasn't pretty, but it was important to see how the Bulldogs would handle a situation like that. Making an 11-point comeback with ease and then getting to the finish line against a solid team shows they've got the makings of a quality team.

Hubbard, Murphy, and Matthews deserve game balls

Three players deserve a lot of credit for this win. Josh Hubbard took over the game in the second half. After starting off just 1-7 for three points, he'd connect on three big buckets early in the second half to get the Bulldogs right back in the game. He'd finish with a game-leading 23 points and five made threes. When State needed its superstar to take control, he did just that.

KeShawn Murphy had the best game of his career. He tied a career-high 18 points and had 14 boards, including a huge seven on the offensive end. He was 8-10 at the free throw line, and his makes there were a big reason why the first half wasn't worse for State. State has needed someone to emerge at the 5, and he could be the guy.

And how about Cameron Matthews? The do-it-all forward has struggled at the line this year, but he went 8-10 today at the charity stripe, including making 5-6 in the closing minutes to put the game away. For a team loaded with transfers, it was the MSU veterans who won this game for the Bulldogs.

This win should age well for the Bulldogs

Utah wasn't expected to be particularly good this year, but if you've watched the Utes early in the season, you wouldn't come away believing that was a team destined for a bottom-of-the-Big 12 finish. They've got a plethora of scorers and play sound defense. They project like a competitive team.

As a result, this should end up being a nice win on the resume for State. I'm not saying the Utes will be a Big 12 contender or even make the NCAA Tournament. But I expect them to be a solid team this season, and neutral site win over a solid team is good for the resume. This was an important result for Mississippi State early in the year.