Mississippi State
19-9,8-7SEC
#16 Kentucky
20-8,10-5SEC
Dawgs Drop Heartbreaker To No. 16 Kentucky
February 27, 2024 | Men's Basketball
State falls 91-89 on last-second shot.
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State put together an impressive offensive performance but fell in the final seconds to No. 16 Kentucky by a score of 91-89 at Humphrey Coliseum on Tuesday night. MSU's Josh Hubbard hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 10 seconds left, but a Kentucky bucket with under a second left on the clock proved to be the difference.
Hubbard finished with a game-high 34 points in defeat. It was his second-straight game cracking the 30-point mark for the Maroon and White.
State's Tolu Smith III notched his sixth double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Shakeel Moore chipped in with 10 points of his own, while Cameron Matthews finished with seven points and seven boards.
The Bulldogs started the game with a bang on a 3-pointer by Shawn Jones Jr. and went on an 14-3 run through the first five minutes to push ahead right out of the gates. MSU's tough defense forced three turnovers by the Wildcats during that stretch.
Smith attacked the paint early with six quick points on layups. He added a total of 11 points and six rebounds in the first frame. DJ Jeffries checked into the game and hit two clutch 3-pointers in the final minutes before halftime.
State added five total buckets from deep over the first 20 minutes of action to finish the opening half with an impressive 56-percent shooting percentage from long range.
The Bulldogs hauled in 20 first-half rebounds, six of which were on the offensive glass, and forced the Wildcats to commit five turnovers.
Hubbard netted 12 of his 34 points in the first half, including a pair of 3-pointers.
State led 43-35 at the intermission, then the home team jumped out quickly following the halftime break. Hubbard hit a 3-pointer to keep momentum on the Dawgs' side and added four more points over the next minute.
The teams traded buckets through much of the second half, with Hubbard, Smith and Moore putting up key shots in big moments. Kentucky put together a strong run as the minutes ticked down and took its first lead of the game with just 4:24 remaining in the contest.
After Moore netted a pair of free throws with just under two minutes remaining to cut the Cats' lead to one, the visiting squad went on a 7-0 run in just under 40 seconds to push ahead by eight points with 57 seconds left in the contest.
The game wasn't over quite yet, as Mississippi State continued to battle back. Hubbard hit two treys in seven seconds following a few free throws by the Wildcats to cut the deficit to four.
Following another pair at the charity stripe for the visiting team, Matthews drove to the basket and drew a foul of his own on a made layup. After making his own shot at the free-throw line, the Bulldogs forced a turnover. Smith added two points from the line, and the Wildcats matched that quickly.
With time winding down, Hubbard rose up and sank a deep three-pointer to tie the game and ignite the sold-out crowd at the Hump.
The game was on the cusp of heading to overtime, however Kentucky's Reed Sheppard hit a tough jumper just before the buzzer to give the Wildcats the win. State was left with half of a second following Sheppard's shot to try and pull off a miracle, but a long inbounds pass was hauled down by Kentucky as the Wildcats sealed their triumph.
Mississippi State will now hit the road as the Dawgs seek to bounce back from Tuesday's defeat. Up next, MSU travels to Auburn to face off against the Tigers for the second time this season. State won the first meeting 64-58 in Starkville.
Saturday's tip at Neville Arena is set for 3 p.m. CT and the game will be televised by ESPN2.
