Mississippi State
16-5,4-4SEC
#4 Alabama
18-3,7-1SEC
The Final Horn: No. 4 Alabama 88, No. 14 State 84
January 29, 2025 | Men's Basketball
A quick rundown of the action as MSU drops decision to the Crimson Tide.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Josh Hubbard put forth a career night for No. 14 Mississippi State, but it wasn't quite enough as No. 4 Alabama escaped a sold-out, electric Humphrey Coliseum with an 88-84 win on Wednesday in Starkville. MSU trailed by just one with under a minute to play and had a chance to take the lead, but the rim was unkind on a potential go-ahead layup and the Tide went on to knock down a trio of free throws in the closing seconds to seal their win. It was yet another Southeastern Conference barn burner featuring seven ties and 11 lead changes. For the majority of the evening, the contest stayed a one or two-possession game. Unfortunately for State, the Dawgs couldn't quite pull it out and dropped to 16-5 overall and 4-4 in league action.
KEY NUMBERS: Hubbard's career-high 38 points jump off the page on the MSU side of things. The sensational sophomore put the Bulldogs on his back for much of the night, connecting on 14 of his 28 shots overall, including six 3-pointers. KeShawn Murphy also scored in double figures for State, totaling 18 points. However, Alabama's success from beyond the arc was just too much to overcome. The Crimson Tide sank 15 of their 31 treys including eight of their 12 from long distance in the second half to keep the Bulldogs at bay. Four Alabama players scored a dozen or more points, led by Chris Youngblood's 23.
NEXT UP FOR THE DAWGS: Mississippi State plays in front of the home crowd for a second straight game. MSU hosts Missouri on Saturday, Feb. 1. Tip time at the Humphrey Coliseum is set for noon CT and the game will be televised by SEC Network.
