Mississippi State Bulldogs Narrowly Defeated at Neville Arena by Auburn Tigers

The Mississippi State Bulldogs faced a challenging contest against the Auburn Tigers, concluding with a 63-69 scoreline. The Bulldogs now stand with an overall record of 0-1, while the Tigers improved to 1-0.

At Neville Arena, the Mississippi State Bulldogs displayed a robust defensive effort with four blocks and nine steals but ultimately fell short against the Auburn Tigers. The Bulldogs' offense was led by their ability to score in the paint, contributing 40 points from close range. Despite not connecting from beyond the arc with zero three-pointers made on eighteen attempts, they maintained an impressive free throw accuracy of seventy-five percent.

The team's rebounding was a strong point for Mississippi State as they gathered thirty-eight total rebounds, including fifteen offensive boards which led to seventeen second-chance points. However, turnovers were an issue for the team; they committed sixteen in total which allowed Auburn to capitalize and score fourteen points off those turnovers.

Auburn's performance was marked by better shooting efficiency from long range; they hit eleven out of twenty-five three-point attempts translating to forty-four percent success rate. Their overall field goal percentage stood at forty-four percent as well. The home team also managed ten steals and outpaced Mississippi State in fast break points with eleven.

Key players for Mississippi State contributed significantly despite the loss; their efforts were evident in scoring twenty-one field goals out of fifty-six attempts and making all twenty-one free throws attempted. However, personal fouls proved costly as fourteen were recorded against them throughout the game.

Looking ahead, fans can anticipate seeing their team back in action when the Mississippi State Bulldogs host Tennessee Volunteers at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville on January 18th at 6:00 PM Central Time. This game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 channel two hundred nine for fans unable to attend in person.