Mississippi State
North Alabama
State Shows Off Depth In Win Over North Alabama
November 14, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Bulldogs top the Lions 81-54.
STARKVILLE – For months, Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans and his staff discussed how important it'd be to add to the Bulldogs' depth heading into this season. They then went out and did it. On Tuesday night at Humphrey Coliseum, MSU put its many weapons on full display.
State got contributions from up and down the roster in an 81-54 win over North Alabama. A total of 11 Bulldogs scored – including seven who tallied at least six. And 40 of the Dawgs' 81 points came from the bench in a show of teamwide strength.
"It's something we've talked about since the spring," Jans said. "We wanted to build our depth. We wanted to have more scoring and shooting than we had [last] season. We wanted options and bodies and different ways to play."
The Bulldogs certainly showed they can succeed using a variety of people and methods Tuesday.
Down in the paint, center Jimmy Bell Jr. had another big night. The West Virginia transfer put forth a 14-point, 14-rebound performance. Only three games into the season, Bell is averaging a double-double.
"It feels good," Bell said. "I worked my butt off all summer, and it's finally paying off for me."
While Bell shined inside, there was Bulldog success from outside the perimeter as well. Five different Dawgs hit 3s. Freshman Josh Hubbard nailed a couple to pave the way for a 12-point night. D.J. Jeffries added two treys as well on the way to finishing with eight points.
Trey Fort and Adrian Myers connected from beyond the arc, too, as did Shakeel Moore, whose make was perhaps the most gratifying 3 of the night.
Moore was making his season debut Tuesday, and his triple late in the first half served as his first points of the year. The Bulldog veteran was proud to finally get back in the mix with his teammates after being unavailable the first two games of the year.
"It felt so good to get back out there competing with our guys," Moore said. "It's just a blessing to be back."
Moore finished with eight points.
He didn't hit a 3, but Andrew Taylor had his biggest night yet as a Bulldog. The transfer guard from Marshall scored nine in a reserve role. He also contributed with three rebounds and three assists.
"It felt really good just to see a couple go in," Taylor said. "I feel like it'll help [my confidence]. But I'm more concerned about this whole group and not really focusing on myself. I feel like coming out here and being a leader and wanting to win and achieve our goals, that's what we've all got to do."
To no one's surprise, State also benefitted from the strong defense Jans demands. The Dawgs held North Alabama to 33.9 percent shooting as a team, forced 20 turnovers and scored 26 points off of them.
Jeffries and Moore both had highlight-reel moments following turnovers that rocked the Hump – Jeffries on a thunderous slam and Moore on a fastbreak layup that he somehow finished in acrobatic style despite getting fouled. He then added the free throw.
MSU's success was also buoyed by a 46-38 rebounding edge – one of which was a Cameron Matthews put-back jam with authority that figuratively shook the new-look Hump.
State mixed it all together to pull completely away from the Lions late. North Alabama only trailed by three early in the second half, but the Dawgs outscored their opposition 43-19 over the final 16:04 to cruise to victory.
What sparked the late dominance? Another one of the key pieces of State's team, of course. The head man himself.
"Coach Jans, he got on us when we got in the huddle," Bell shared. "We knew we had to pick it up."
Pick it up the Dawgs did – the whole group. As a result, MSU is 3-0.
State now puts its perfect early-season record on the line this weekend in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Uncasville, Connecticut. MSU faces Washington State at 11 a.m. on Saturday, then will square off with either Northwestern or Rhode Island at either noon or 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
"Looking forward to it," Jans said. "We're going to play for a championship. I'm sure the four teams in the tournament there this year all have the same mindset. It's going to be good competition and can't wait to get up there and see how we compete and see how we handle the neutral site and the size [of the opponents]. It'll be Power 5-type size and Power 5 players. I'm looking forward to the experience."
