Mississippi State
21-14,8-10SEC
Michigan State
20-14,10-10Big Ten
Dawgs Fall In NCAA Tourney Action
March 21, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Mississippi State’s season ends after dropping 69-51 decision to Michigan State.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Mississippi State's 2023-24 men's basketball season came to an end on Thursday following an NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Michigan State. The No. 8 seed Bulldogs fell to the No. 9 seed Spartans 69-51 at the Spectrum Center.
Josh Hubbard finished his All-Southeastern Conference Freshman campaign with a team-high 15 points with Tolu Smith III scoring nine points and Cameron Matthews and D.J. Jeffries adding eight apiece.
Against the Spartans, Mississippi State trailed by as many as 12 in the first half before a pair of Hubbard 3-pointers finished the period strong for the Maroon and White as the Bulldogs went into the break down 31-24.
Michigan State regained momentum to begin the second half and finished the ballgame shooting 50 percent from the field and 10-for-23 from deep. The Bulldogs trimmed the lead back down to eight at one point of the second half courtesy of a Smith layup, but the Spartans outscored the Bulldogs 18-8 during the final 11 minutes.
Michigan State had three players score in double figures and were led by Tyson Walker with 19 points and Jaden Akins with 15.
Mississippi State shot 37 percent from the field, 6-for-27 from three-point range and 5-for-10 from the free-throw line. The Bulldogs committed 15 turnovers with the Spartans turning it over 16 times, while Michigan State outrebounded Mississippi State 35-29.
After reaching the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season – Mississippi State's first back-to-back appearances in the big dance since 2008 and 2009 – the Dawgs' season concluded with a 21-14 overall record that included three victories over Associated Press Top-10 opponents.
