Postgame Notes: State at No. 24 Alabama

TEAM NOTES

Mississippi State wrapped up the SEC's first half with a 99-67 loss at No. 24 Alabama to fall to 14-8 overall and 3-6 in SEC action.
The Bulldogs are the only team in the nation to open conference play with eight of their first nine league games as NCAA NET Quad 1 outings.
State faced a ranked Alabama squad for the 9th time in the last 10 meetings going back to the 2020-21 season. The Bulldogs have lost six straight contests to the Crimson Tide.
Alabama outrebounded State by a 48-37 margin highlighted by 20 offensive rebounds.
Keys to the Crimson Tide win were scoring 27 of the game's 34 points off turnovers coupled with a 19-5 advantage in fastbreak points and a 19-8 edge in second-chance points.
State connected on 22-of-55 from the floor (40.0 percent), went 4-of-16 from three-point territory (25.0 percent) and hit on 19-of-32 at the charity stripe (59.4 percent).
Conversely, Alabama turned in a 37-for-83 shooting effort (44.6 percent), knocked down 15-for-48 of its three-pointers (31.3 percent) and produced a perfect 10-for-10 clip from the free throw line (100.0 percent).

PLAYER NOTES

Tolu Smith III

Started in 92 of his 95 career games at State.
Produced a game-leading 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting and a 7-for-13 effort at the free throw line.
Secured 20+ points for the 4th time in 2023-24 and has amassed 16 of his 22 career outings of 20+ points against SEC opponents.
Notched double figures in 73 of 95 games at State.
The 23 points gives Smith III 1,379 career points and moves him into 18th-place on the program's all-time list.
He eclipsed Gavin Ware (2013-14-15-16) on the program's scoring list in tonight's game.
Smith III's 5 rebounds moves him into 11th-place on the career rebounds list where he was able to pass Jack Houston (1952-53-54-55) with 755 career rebounds.

Shakeel Moore

Made 58 of his 60 career starts while at State and has started the team's last 14 games.
Secured 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Registered his 9th outing of the season with 10+ points.
36 of his 41 games of double figures have come at State.
Mississippi State and North Carolina State are now a combined 27-14 when Moore scores 10+ points.
Distributed 3+ assists for the 5th time this season with 18 of his 31 games of 3+ dimes at State coming against SEC competition.
Secured multiple steals for the 6th outing this season, 39 of his 50 career performances have come with the Bulldogs.
The 2 steals gives Moore 128 career steals and moves him into 16th-place on the program's all-time list.
Passed Al Perry (1975-76-77-78) on the steals list during tonight's game.

Cameron Matthews

Started 55 of the team's 56 games over the last two seasons.
Added 2 points, 6 rebounds and a steal.
Grabbed 5+ rebounds for the 17th outing in 2023-24.
Matthews' 5 rebounds gives him 557 for his career and moves him into a 30th-place tie with Reggie Perry (2019-20) on the program's all-time rebounds list.
The lone steals gives Matthews 162 career steals and moves him into a 7th-place tie with Barry Stewart (2007-08-09-10) on the program's all-time list.
He passed Timmy Bowers (2001-02-03-04) on the steals list during tonight's game.

Josh Hubbard

Earned the nod in the starting five for the third straight game.
Collected 7 points, 2 rebounds and an assist.
Amassed 326 total points which is 5th-most for a freshman in program history through 22 games and the most since Rickey Brown (1976-77).
Finished 5-of-6 from the line which marks his 5th outing of five or more free throws made.

D.J. Jeffries

Bench

Shawn Jones Jr. fired in a season's best 10 points, a career-high 6 rebounds and 2 steals.
Marked his 1st performance of the season and 2nd career performance with 10+ points.
Drained multiple treys for the 4th time this season and 7th time of his career.
Secured 2+ steals for the 4th time this season and 8th time of his career.
Jimmy Bell Jr. compiled 6 points and 2 rebounds.
Adrian Myers tucked away 3 points, his first career points in a SEC game.
Jaquan Scott added on one point, 2 rebounds, an assist and a steal in his first extended action of SEC play.

Mississippi State University Athletics