GAMEDAY JOURNAL: No. 18 Tennessee at Mississippi State
February 09, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
The Bulldogs host the Volunteers in a critical game at The Hump.
STARKVILLE – Every game is seemingly bigger as the season rolls along and there's no doubt about it, tonight's is a huge one for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs welcome the No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers to The Humphrey Coliseum. It's a chance for MSU to pick up a coveted Quad 1 win to boost its NCAA Tournament resume.
With tip time nearing, let's check out your starting lineups, first for Mississippi State:
And now, for Tennessee:
G Kennedy Chandler
G Santiago Vescovi
G Josiah-Jordan James
F Brandon Huntley-Hatfield
F Uros Plavsic
Player intros are underway....Seems like a lively home bunch tonight, led by the MSU students. About that time.
FIRST HALF
20:00 - The Dawgs win the opening tip and we are off and running. DJ Jeffries with an early bucket and State leads 2-0.
18:06 - Tennessee has put together a quick 7-0 run to take a 7-2 lead. Vols are a perfect 3-for-3 from the field so far. Make that a 9-0 run. It's now 9-2 Vols and they're 4-for-4 from the field. Tough to beat a team that's making every shot.
16:48 - Ben Howland calls a timeout. Dawgs gotta figure something out to slow down Tennessee. Vols leading MSU 11-2 now. Tennessee is now 5-for-5 from the field.
15:52 - DJ Jeffries puts an end to a 14-0 Tennessee run. Jeffries drills a much-needed 3 and the Dawgs cut their deficit to 14-5.
14:28 - At the first media timeout, Tennessee leads Mississippi State 16-8. The Vols have made seven of their eight shots from the field. And aside from the fact Tennessee isn't missing, the Vols have scored half of their points off of three MSU turnovers. Bulldogs have a lot to clean up, but plenty of time to do so.
13:20 - Tennessee up 18-9. Just a random observation, but nothing we haven't seen before...Cameron Matthews just plays hard. Nonstop. Constant energy and a heck of a defender.
11:44 - Media timeout. Things not going too well at the moment for the Maroon and White. Tennessee shooting 63 percent as a team and the Vols are leading Mississippi State 23-11. Dogs with four turnovers so far and Tennessee has scored 10 points off those turnovers. Vols don't have a turnover yet.
9:19 - And HERE COME THE DAWGS. 6-0 run. A bucket by Brooks, a couple of buckets by Jeffries. Some defensive stops in there and State now down just 23-17.
7:54 - Media timeout. Tennessee leads Mississippi State 25-19. Bulldogs have seemingly turned things around here over the last two or three minutes. Tennessee has made just one of its last nine shots. Meanwhile State is four for its last four and up to 54 percent shooting as a team. Some momentum building for MSU.
5:51 - Tolu Smith with his first points of the night makes it a two-point game, 27-25.
5:13 - And THE DAWGS LEAD. A defensive stop with a D.J. Jeffries steal. He dishes to Iverson Molinar who drills a three! Mississippi State in front 28-27! The Hump is rocking and Tennessee calls a timeout.
3:49 - Media timeout. MSU leads 29-28. Dawgs have outscored the Vols 18-5 since falling down 23-11. Been a tale of two games so far really and right now, with halftime nearing, it's Mississippi State in front.
1:30 - All tied up at 33-33 as we get to the tail end of the half.
HALFTIME - Tennessee 35, Mississippi State 33 - The Bulldogs trail but after falling down by 12 points early, being down only two at the half feels like a tremendous win. D.J. Jeffries leads State with nine points. Iverson Molinar has eight. More coming soon from The Hump....
SECOND HALF
20:00 - Off and running again...
19:24 - Just like that, we're all tied up at 35. D.J. Jeffries with a game-tying jumper.
18:37 - Tolu Smith with some moves under the basket! Shakes a defender and lays it in and MSU leads 37-35.
17:12 - Tennessee knotted things back up at 37. But State just retook the lead with an Iverson Molinar free throw. Bulldogs on top 38-37.
15:38 - Media timeout. Tennessee leads MSU 39-38. We'll see how it goes, but early in this second half, you kinda get the vibe this is gonna be one of those back-and-forth, down-to-the-wire type of games.
13:55 - Garrison Brooks ends what was about a five minute stretch without a field goal for MSU. Dawgs down 44-43.
11:54 - Media timeout. Tennessee 49, Mississippi State 45 - Dawgs shooting only 36 percent as a team since halftime, but they're hanging tough.
10:03 - And State has tied it up again. 49-49. Garrison Brooks with a jumper to knot it up.
9:11 - Quick 5-0 run for the Vols. The Hump was starting to buzz but Tennessee has quelled that for the moment at least. Vols on top 54-49. Howland calls a timeout.
8:53 - It's been a tough night so far for Shakeel Moore but he just hit a huge shot to give the Bulldogs life again. It's a three and State is now down just two at 54-52.
7:57 - Media timeout. And the momentum grows from the Moore shot! A Molinar three just put State back in front! 55-54 Dawgs! Well, now it appears the Molinar three has instead been ruled a two. So it's a tie game at 54-54.
5:09 - A couple of HUGE shots from Garrison Brooks. A two a moment ago, and now a go-ahead 3-pointer. Mississippi State leads 59-58.
4:47 - Tennessee answers with a 3-pointer of its own and the Vols are back in front 61-59. Back and forth. Back and forth. This really has been a fun game. And as said earlier, it looked like a contest that might come down to the very end. Certainly the case now.
4:20 - Cameron Matthews with a big moment. Gets a basket and gets hacked...But he misses the free throw. So tied up again, 61-all.
3:31 - Media timeout. Tennessee 63, Mississippi State 61....So it all comes down to this. Hold on tight folks!
2:42 - Tennessee 66, Mississippi State 63 - Vols hit a 3-pointer, but State answers with a Shakeel Moore bucket on the other end. Now a pause in the action as a Tennessee player is hurt on the floor.
1:16 - Tennessee 68, Mississippi State 63 - Tennessee calls a timeout
0:48 - Tennessee with a pair of free throws and it's now 70-63 Vols.
FINAL - Tennessee 72, Mississippi State 63
