Missouri Dominates Mississippi State 88-64 in SEC Game

Missouri took control early and never relinquished it, winning by 24 points Saturday at Humphrey Coliseum. The Tigers scored the first nine points and maintained a commanding 54-23 lead at halftime after hitting 19 of 31 shots in the first half, according to team notes.

Mississippi State outscored Missouri 41-34 in the second half, with key contributions from Josh Hubbard, King Grace, and Shawn Jones Jr., who combined for 27 points. Despite the second-half rally, the Bulldogs could not overcome the deficit.

Missouri’s defense forced 18 Mississippi State turnovers, converting them into a 27-10 advantage in points off turnovers. The Tigers also led in rebounding, 38-26, and scored 14 second-chance points to State’s nine.

Mississippi State shot 49.1% from the field and 26.3% from three-point range, finishing 7 of 13 at the free-throw line. Missouri shot 50.8%, hitting 8 of 20 three-pointers and making 20 of 24 free throws.

Josh Hubbard led Mississippi State with 16 points, shooting 6 of 14 overall, including two three-pointers. The junior guard, who started his 79th consecutive game, now has 1,862 career points, ranking fifth on the school’s all-time list. Hubbard also surpassed LSU’s Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf for fifth on the SEC scoring list after his junior season.

Hubbard’s 622 points this season set a program record for a single SEC season. He is one three players with three of the program’s top 10 SEC scoring seasons, according to team notes. Hubbard also extended his career three-pointer total to 300, nearing Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins for SEC’s top 10.

Jayden Epps contributed six points and three assists, while Shawn Jones Jr. added seven points and a block. Achor Achor and Quincy Ballard also made notable contributions, with Ballard scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds.

The Bulldogs were outscored on the bench 27-23, with King Grace leading the reserves with nine points, four rebounds, two steals, and a career-high two blocks.

Missouri’s series winning streak now stands at four games, their longest over 24 meetings. The Tigers hold a 14-10 all-time series edge. Mississippi State’s record under coach Chris Jans is now 13-10 this season and 69-28 over the past four seasons when shooting at least 40%. The Bulldogs are 8-7 at Humphrey Coliseum this year.

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