Mississippi State
11-11,3-6SEC
Missouri
15-7,5-4SEC
The Final Horn: Missouri 84, State 79
January 31, 2026 | Men's Basketball
THE BOTTOM LINE: Mississippi State's comeback fell short at Missouri in an 84-79 decision on Saturday afternoon in Columbia. The Tigers made six triples in the first eight minutes of action to jump out to an early 24-14 lead. Over the next few minutes, State ignited a 12-1 run to steal a 26-25 lead highlighted by treys from King Grace and Jayden Epps. By halftime though, Missouri had regained a 42-35 advantage. In the second half, Missouri extended its lead to as many as 16 with 13:03 left before State began to chip away. Down seven, Josh Hubbard hit an and-one 3-pointer from the corner and converted the free throw to bring the game to 74-71 with 2:26 remaining. But the Tigers were able to get multiple defensive stops and ultimately ice the game at the free throw line.
KEY NUMBERS: Epps led State's offensive attack with 23 points off the bench. Hubbard finished with 22 points after a 20-point second half, and Jamarion Davis-Fleming added eight rebounds along with three blocks, but it wasn't enough for the Dawgs. A key to the loss was 21 points for Missouri off 14 State turnovers.      Â
NEXT UP FOR MSU: The Bulldogs will host Arkansas on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Humphrey Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m., and the game will be televised on either ESPN or ESPN2.
