GAMEDAY JOURNAL: Mississippi State defeats Ole Miss 78-60
January 22, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
STARKVILLE – Only two weeks since a meeting in Oxford, Mississippi State and Ole Miss battle once again on Saturday at Humphrey Coliseum. For live updates all game long, keep it right here on HailState.com's live gameday journal. Refresh your browser for the latest information.
Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum. Here's your Mississippi State starting five:
G – Iverson Molinar
G – Shakeel Moore
G – D.J. Jeffries
F – Garrison Brooks
C – Tolu Smith
And for Ole Miss:
G – Daeshun Ruffin
G – Matthew Murrell
G – Tye Fagan
F – Jaemyn Brakefield
C – Nysier Brooks
Items of note:
- Guard Rocket Watts is unavailable for Mississippi State today. His absence is for non-disciplinary reasons and he's considered day-to-day. With Watts out, there's a strong chance freshman guard Cam Carter's minutes pick up this afternoon.
- It's possible MSU could add a member to its 1,000-point club today. Molinar, the reigning Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, sits only 17 points away from 1,000 for his career. He'd become only the 41st Bulldog in history to accomplish the feat should he reach the mark.
- It bears remembering Smith is in action today for State. It's his third game back since missing a pair of contests earlier this month. Smith missed the game against the Rebels in Oxford, so the Bulldogs are hoping having the SEC's defending rebounding king this go-around makes a huge difference.
And we're almost off and running here at the Humphrey Coliseum. Player intros ongoing. Lively crowd in the Hump. That made a huge difference a week ago in the win over Alabama. Maybe was THE difference as State earned the victory over the ranked Tide.
Game time:
Bulldogs win the opening tip and get off to a good start as Garrison Brooks hits a jumper from the top of the key. Quickly 2-0 Bulldogs. After Ole Miss gets to the basket a couple of times to take a lead, Brooks hits another mid-range jumper to tie us up at 4-4. Getting Brooks going would be HUGE for Mississippi State. He only took three shots at Florida on Wednesday. He's already taken two and made two today.
15:51 left in 1H: Mississippi State leads 7-6. Brooks has four points for State. Molinar has three, courtesy of a 3-pointer. All seven of State's points have come on jump shots. All six of Ole Miss' have come from the paint.
Ole Miss really finding success near the basket today. A reversal from the game up in Oxford where the Rebels (behind a red-hot Murrell) lived on threes.
But Brooks keeps finding success. Just hit a long two and Iverson Molinar is fouled shooting a three sending him to the line. Molinar is almost automatic from there and he hits all three. 12-8 MSU over Ole Miss.
And how about Cameron Matthews??? You know him as a defensive wizard. But did you know he can score from long range? Well he just hit a three to put State up 15-11. Then the old nemesis from two weeks ago, Murrell, answers on the other end for Ole Miss. After a frantic few seconds and a couple of Ole Miss free throws, Rebels are back in front 18-17.
11:47 left in 1H: Mississippi State trails 18-17. Molinar and Brooks leading the Bulldogs with six points apiece.
A made jumper from Jeffries and he's fouled. He completes the three-point play the old-fashioned way to put State back in front. Now Moore hits a three. Dawgs get the ball back and Smith gets to the rim to stretch the Mississippi State lead to 25-18 and THE HUMP IS LOVING IT! Rebs call a timeout.
It's now 28-20 Bulldogs. Moore just drilled another 3-pointer. And he was just about as wide open as you could possibly be. Took advantage. 8:34 left til the half.
7:39 left in 1H: Mississippi State leads 28-23. Molinar, Moore and Brooks all have six points each for MSU. Bulldogs shooting an impressive 63 percent as a team, including 57 percent from three-point range. Of course Ole Miss isn't too far behind. Rebs shooting 60 percent from the floor as a group.
In a couple of minutes' time, the State lead is gone. Ole Miss just took a 33-30 lead as Murrell just drilled a three for the Rebs. Murrell just can't miss against State. He scored 31 points on 10-of-11 shooting up in Oxford. He's 4-for-4 today including 2-for-2 from three-point distance.
3:03 left in 1H: Mississippi State trails 37-34. Ole Miss has made five of its last six shots to get out in front. Rebs now up to 65 percent shooting. Murrell did just miss a shot though, only his second miss in 16 shots against MSU this season.
After a couple of free throws, Garrison Brooks is now up to 10 points today for State. MSU got within one at 37-36, but Ole Miss is fouled shooting a three. It's Murrell and he hits two of his three freebies and Ole Miss is up 39-36.
All tied up. Molinar with a nifty little toss to a waiting Smith under the basket. He makes it and is fouled. Hits the free throw and it's 39-39.
Momentum is shifting in a Maroon and White direction here just before halftime. Ole Miss hasn't made a field goal in over three minutes. State is on a 6-0 run. Dawgs up 42-39. This place is getting louder!
HALFTIME: Mississippi State 42, Ole Miss 41. Murrell hits a floater at the buzzer for the Rebels, but the Dawgs go to the locker room in front.
Some halftime stats: Brooks has 10 points, Molinar has nine, Moore has eight and Smith has seven for MSU. Murrell leads Ole Miss with 14. Ole Miss shooting 62 percent, MSU at 54 percent. Both teams have 12 rebounds. We'll be back shortly with more from The Hump.
Second Half:
A Jeffries steal. A Molinar basket. We're off and running in the second half and MSU is now up 44-41. Molinar nearly increased the lead, but his next shot didn't quite beat the shot clock. It's reviewed, but no basket. Still 44-41 MSU.
After Ole Miss ties it up, Bulldogs play a little classic Ben Howland basketball with defense leading to offense. A steal on one end leads to an easy Moore basket at the other. MSU now up 46-44.
15:41 left in 2H: Mississippi State leads 48-44. Bulldog defense has really picked it up, holding Ole Miss scoreless over the last 2:31 of game time. Three Bulldogs now in double figures, led by Molinar with 13. Brooks and Moore both have 10. Molinar now only four points away from joining the 1,000-point club at MSU.
It's now 51-49 State. Moore gets the ball back for the Dawgs by taking a charge. This MSU team is full of guys that are fun to watch and Moore is one of them. Finds ways to help you win. And he just did it again with an assist to Javian Davis, who scores under the basket. Dawgs up 53-49 now.
11:26 left in 2H: Mississippi State leads 53-49. MSU's defense has been much improved in the second half. After Ole Miss shot 62 percent in the first half, Rebs have been held to 43 percent so far in the second.
MSU now up to a seven-point lead at 56-49 after a Molinar three. He's now only one point away from 1,000 for his career. And just a few seconds later, Jeffries with a bucket from the paint. He's fouled and hits the free throw! It's a 10-point State lead at 59-49.
It's a 10-0 Mississippi State run and it's now a 61-49 Bulldog lead! The Maroon, White chant is going strong in Starkville with 8:58 to go.
Make it a 13-0 Bulldog run! Ole Miss calls a timeout as State is pulling away. It's 64-49 MSU. The Hump is loving it. Really strong home-court advantage for Mississippi State today and it's seemingly fueling the Bulldogs on the floor as they try to finish this one off. 7:46 left.
6:17 left in 2H: Mississippi State leads 66-52. Ole Miss just scored for the first time in nearly seven full minutes of game action. The Bulldogs with a pretty comfortable cushion as we head down the stretch, but like has been said many time, it's never over 'til it's over.
Mississippi State doing today what it wasn't able to do last Wednesday against Florida. Bulldogs keeping the accelerator pressed down. Tolu Smith with a bucket and-1 and MSU is up 16 with under four minutes to go.
3:53 left in 2H: Mississippi State leads 71-55. Things to watch over the final few minutes...Can Molinar score one point to reach 1,000 for his career? Can Jeffries score two points to put every MSU starter in double figures? And of course, can the Dawgs put the exclamation point on this one?
Well there's the answer to one of those questions. Jeffries just hit a three. He's up to 11 points putting every Bulldog starter in double figures. State up 74-57.
And there's the answer to another! Iverson Molinar with a layup gives him 18 points today and 1,001 for his career - the 41st Bulldog all-time with 1,000 or more career points. MSU leads 76-57 with 2:27 left.
Mississippi State now leading 78-60 with 1:15 to go, but a hush has come over The Hump. Tolu Smith is down on the floor and holding his knee. He's now helped up to his feet, but he's being assisted off the court, walking with arms draped around a trainer and teammate Javian Davis. The Maroon and White faithful with a loud ovation for Smith as he heads on to the locker room.
FINAL: Mississippi State 78, Ole Miss 60 - Mississippi State pretty much had to have it and the Dawgs got it! More coming soon here on HailState.com, including a postgame Dear Ol' State podcast and other content.
