Florida handed Mississippi State a 108-74 loss Tuesday at Exactech Arena inside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Gators shot 54.9% from the floor and outrebounded the Bulldogs 53-26, controlling much of the game.
Mississippi State started strong, hitting 10 of their first 13 shots to lead 24-14 with 11:33 remaining in the first half. Josh Hubbard scored a three-pointer and assisted Quincy Ballard for a dunk, helping the Bulldogs maintain a 10-point lead at one point. Florida responded with a 33-11 run to take a 47-35 lead into halftime.
The Bulldogs made several runs in the second half but could not close the gap. Florida closed the game with a 41-18 scoring run in the final 12 minutes, securing its fifth win in six meetings against Mississippi State since 2021-22. The Gators also dominated in the paint, making 35 of 45 shots in the key.
Josh Hubbard led Mississippi State with 21 points, extending his streak of 20-plus-point games to 17 this season. He moved into fifth place on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,883 points and is close to passing Jim Ashmore for fourth. Hubbard also connected on three three-pointers, bringing his career total to 302, just five shy of the program record.
Jayden Epps contributed 14 points for the Bulldogs, while Sergej Macura added 4 points and 5 rebounds. Quincy Ballard scored 4 points and blocked 2 shots. The Bulldogs’ bench scored 26 points, led by Ja’Borri McGhee, who had 12 points and shot 5-of-10 from the field. The Gators outscored Mississippi State’s bench 32-26 overall.
