Men’s Hoops Caps Portugal Tour With 95-72 Triumph
August 02, 2023 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications
PORTO, Portugal – Mississippi State men's basketball finished up its Portugal Foreign Tour with another convincing victory, 95-72, over the Basketball Association of Porto on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs used their familiar formula of balanced scoring, sharing the basketball and solid shooting from three-point territory.
State sank 41 baskets, 19 of which were assisted, and dialed up nine three-pointers for a tour total of 37 triples over three games. Defensively, the Maroon and White tacked on 21 steals.
"The trip is obviously great for our camaraderie and being able to bond," associate head coach James Miller said. "These guys have had a great time, and we still have a couple more days on the trip. That's what it was all about coming over here for. Sure, winning and losing are important in our program, but it was more about playing the right way. Then, off the court, being able to become a true family … The guys have had a great time, and it's been an awesome experience."
Tolu Smith and Josh Hubbard put the Bulldogs off to strong starts in both halves. Smith ripped off State's first seven points of the game, while Hubbard exploded for 11 points ignited by three consecutive trifectas to open the third quarter.
Hubbard collected double-digit points for the third straight game and pumped home a team-best 18 points, while Smith secured 15 points of his own. Trey Fort did a majority of his damage in the second half en route to 16 points off the bench.
The Bulldogs used a 12-3 spurt to end the first quarter and took a 48-36 advantage into halftime. Then, State opened things up and put the contest away behind a 29-point third quarter which saw its largest lead at 77-47.
D.J. Jeffries provided eight points, five assists and four steals followed by seven points and two assists courtesy of Andrew Taylor.
Jaquan Scott added six points and seven rebounds whereas Shakeel Moore registered six points and four assists. Adrian Myers chipped in six points, all coming during the fourth quarter.
"With this team, we have more depth than last year," Miller said. "Obviously, some specific instances from individuals that they scored a lot of points and covered. Some of the newer guys have come out and really shown why we recruited them. With the depth that we have on this team, I think we have the ability any given night that it can be anybody on this team to produce points, or anybody that can lead to scoring. Then, you have good depth with the big guy in the front line as well as bodies that can go out there … The depth is something we are excited about because we did not really have that last year."
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, Twitter and Instagram.
PORTO, Portugal – Mississippi State men's basketball finished up its Portugal Foreign Tour with another convincing victory, 95-72, over the Basketball Association of Porto on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs used their familiar formula of balanced scoring, sharing the basketball and solid shooting from three-point territory.
State sank 41 baskets, 19 of which were assisted, and dialed up nine three-pointers for a tour total of 37 triples over three games. Defensively, the Maroon and White tacked on 21 steals.
"The trip is obviously great for our camaraderie and being able to bond," associate head coach James Miller said. "These guys have had a great time, and we still have a couple more days on the trip. That's what it was all about coming over here for. Sure, winning and losing are important in our program, but it was more about playing the right way. Then, off the court, being able to become a true family … The guys have had a great time, and it's been an awesome experience."
Tolu Smith and Josh Hubbard put the Bulldogs off to strong starts in both halves. Smith ripped off State's first seven points of the game, while Hubbard exploded for 11 points ignited by three consecutive trifectas to open the third quarter.
Hubbard collected double-digit points for the third straight game and pumped home a team-best 18 points, while Smith secured 15 points of his own. Trey Fort did a majority of his damage in the second half en route to 16 points off the bench.
The Bulldogs used a 12-3 spurt to end the first quarter and took a 48-36 advantage into halftime. Then, State opened things up and put the contest away behind a 29-point third quarter which saw its largest lead at 77-47.
D.J. Jeffries provided eight points, five assists and four steals followed by seven points and two assists courtesy of Andrew Taylor.
Jaquan Scott added six points and seven rebounds whereas Shakeel Moore registered six points and four assists. Adrian Myers chipped in six points, all coming during the fourth quarter.
"With this team, we have more depth than last year," Miller said. "Obviously, some specific instances from individuals that they scored a lot of points and covered. Some of the newer guys have come out and really shown why we recruited them. With the depth that we have on this team, I think we have the ability any given night that it can be anybody on this team to produce points, or anybody that can lead to scoring. Then, you have good depth with the big guy in the front line as well as bodies that can go out there … The depth is something we are excited about because we did not really have that last year."
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, Twitter and Instagram.
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