Mississippi State
6-1,0-0SEC
Butler
6-1,0-0Big East
The Final Horn: Butler 87, No. 25 State 77
November 29, 2024 | Men's Basketball
A quick rundown of the action as MSU drops decision to Butler.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A red-hot night behind the three-point line for Butler proved to be a major factor as Mississippi State fell 87-77 in a battle of the Bulldogs in the championship game of the Arizona Tip-Off on Friday night. MSU showed its typical resiliency, shrinking an 11-point second-half deficit down to just two with 6:22 to go. However, unlike in games against Utah and SMU earlier this month, State couldn't complete the double-digit comeback and fell for the first time this year following a season-opening six-game winning streak.
KEY NUMBERS: Butler's 54.5 shooting percentage from long range, connecting on 12 of 22 treys, proved to be an insurmountable obstacle for Mississippi State. On the flip side, the Maroon and White found life difficult beyond the arc, particularly in the first half. While Butler built itself a 40-34 lead, in part, by making seven of its first 12 threes, MSU was just 1-for-14 from deep in the same time span. State did make six of its last 13 from outside, but Butler always seemed to have an answer and led for the entirety of the second half. Butler was also boosted by outrebounding MSU by 11 over the final 20 minutes. Individually, four different State players scored in double figures in the defeat, including a couple that cracked the 20-point mark. Both Josh Hubbard and Riley Kugel scored 22 points apiece for MSU. Cameron Matthews tallied 14 and Michael Nwoko had 11. KeShawn Murphy was State's leading rebounder with 12.
NEXT UP FOR THE DAWGS: Mississippi State returns home to compete in the SEC/ACC Challenge. MSU is set to host Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Tip is set for 8:15 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum, and the game will be televised by SEC Network.
