Gameday: MSU vs. Northwestern

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

UNCASVILLE, Connecticut – Four undefeated teams to start the weekend are down to two as Mississippi State and Northwestern will meet in the championship game during Sunday's Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

The Bulldogs (4-0) will have the opportunity to play for its second straight multi-team tournament on Sunday under Coach Jans. The Maroon and White claimed the Fort Myers Tipoff last year with wins over BIG EAST champion Marquette (58-55) and Utah (52-49).

Overall, State has won 16 of 18 games against non-conference opponents fueled by an 11-0 mark during the month of November during the Jans era.

State utilized a balanced with four players in double figures in its 76-64 victory over Washington State. Cameron Matthews and Josh Hubbard dialed up 13 points apiece followed by Dashawn Davis with 12 points and four assists along with Jimmy Bell. Jr's 11 points and eight rebounds.

The Maroon and White scored 33 of the game's 38 points off the bench versus the Cougars. Over the last three games, State has outscored its opponents, 117-36, in bench points.

With the Washington State victory, the Bulldogs improved to 6-1 against fellow non-conference Power 6 schools (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12) with Jans at the helm.

Northwestern's (4-0) three-pronged attack is ignited by Boo Buie (19.8 PPG, 2.8 APG, 1.5 SPG), Brooks Barnhizer (17.3 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 2.3 SPG, 1.5 BPG) and Ryan Langborg (11.8 PPG, 2.0 APG). Barnhizer and Buie have ripped off double figures in all four games for the Wildcats who have knocked off a pair of Atlantic 10 squads in Dayton (71-66) and Rhode Island (72-61).

SERIES HISTORY
The lone meeting between Mississippi State and Northwestern on the hardwood came during the 1999-2000 season, a 70-65 Bulldogs victory, at the USBWA Hoop & Quill Classic in St. Charles, Missouri. Tang Hamilton was State's top scorer on 19 points with 7-of-12 shooting.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (4-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Northwestern (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Where: Uncasville, Connecticut – Mohegan Sun Arena
When: Sunday, November 19, 12:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/478r72n)

TV: ESPN2
App: ESPN App, www.ESPN.com/watch
Talent: Derrick Jones, Chris Spatola
(https://hailst.at/3FvSyqI)
Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Bart Gregory, Richard Williams
Affiliates: WZLA-FM 96.1 Starkville/West Point
Free Online Audio: Hail State App (https://hailst.at/MBKListen); The Varsity Network App

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs return to Humphrey Coliseum for Black Friday afternoon special against Nicholls, who has already defeated LSU this season. Tip time is on-tap for 1 p.m. CT carried online only by the ESPN app.

Mississippi State is selling season tickets, $96 mini plans and non-conference single game tickets for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign. Visit www.HailState.com/Tickets for more information.

Humphrey Coliseum will become one of the nation's premier arenas as major renovations continue ahead of the upcoming season. If interested in making contributions to Humphrey Coliseum, please contact the Bulldog Club at (662) 325-3074.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its official social media accounts by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

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Players Mentioned

Dashawn Davis

Josh Hubbard

Cameron Matthews

Mississippi State University Athletics