Mississippi State lost to Tennessee 73-64 on Wednesday night at Humphrey Coliseum. The Volunteers built a 39-28 halftime lead, closing the first half with a 14-3 run.
In the second half, Tennessee extended its lead to as much as 23 points before Mississippi State responded with a season-high 18-0 run. Jayden Epps started the rally with a driving layup, and Epps and Ja’Borri McGhee hit consecutive three-pointers. McGhee added a steal and dunk, pulling the Bulldogs within 63-58 with 5:15 remaining.
The Volunteers answered with eight straight points to regain control. Mississippi State shot 41% from the field, hitting 25 of 61 shots, and made 7 of 22 three-pointers. Tennessee shot 43.5%, making 27 of 62 attempts, and was efficient at the free-throw line, converting 15 of 18.
Inside scoring was a key for Tennessee, which made 21 of 27 shots in the paint for a 42-24 edge in points inside. The Volunteers also dominated on the glass, led by Sergej Macura with eight rebounds.
Josh Hubbard led Mississippi State with 31 points, shooting 13-of-24 from the field. He surpassed 500 points for his college career, becoming the first SEC player of the 2000s to do so and the seventh in league history. Hubbard also tied the program’s single-game record with four three-pointers and moved into seventh place on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,744 points.
Jayden Epps returned to the starting lineup and scored nine points with five assists. Shawn Jones Jr. and Quincy Ballard added three and eight points, respectively. The Bulldogs’ bench was outscored 17-13 by Tennessee. McGhee added six points and two steals, while Sergej Macura contributed eight rebounds and two assists.
Mississippi State, now 11-8 overall, is 7-6 at home under coach Chris Jans. Tennessee improved to 19-8 overall and 7-4 in SEC play.
