Bulldogs' Effort Falls Short in Close Battle at Colonial Life Arena
The Mississippi State Bulldogs faced a tough challenge on the road, succumbing to the South Carolina Gamecocks with a final score of 68-62. The Bulldogs now stand with an overall record of 0-1, while the Gamecocks improve to 1-0.
In a game that saw two ties and three lead changes, the Bulldogs showed tenacity but couldn't clinch victory. Despite trailing by only two points at halftime with a score of 28-30, they were outscored in the second half. The Bulldogs' offense was led by their impressive performance inside the paint where they scored 34 points, contributing significantly to their total tally.
Mississippi State's shooting from beyond the arc was less effective; they made just three out of thirteen attempts for a three-point shooting percentage of around 23 percent. However, their field goal percentage stood at an admirable 48 percent as they made good use of their two-point opportunities by converting them at a rate of approximately 56 percent.
Defensively, Mississippi State managed to block four shots and steal possession ten times from their opponents. They also forced turnovers which led to eleven points off turnovers. However, personal fouls proved costly for them as twenty-three fouls were called against them leading to two players being fouled out.
The rebounding battle was also challenging for Mississippi State as they gathered twenty-six rebounds compared to South Carolina's thirty-five. This included eighteen defensive boards and six on the offensive end which contributed six second-chance points for Mississippi State.
On an individual level, contributions came across the board but it wasn't enough against South Carolina's balanced attack which saw them notch twelve assists and capitalize on free throws making eighteen out of twenty-six attempts – achieving around sixty-nine percent accuracy from the line.
Looking ahead after this hard-fought contest, fans can mark their calendars for when Mississippi State will host Tennessee Volunteers at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville on January 10th at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. The game will be broadcasted nationally on SEC Network channel number six hundred eleven ensuring supporters won’t miss any action as these conference rivals face off.