Mississippi State University entered the neutral-site game at 21-11, and Auburn University came in at 27-4, with Auburn taking the 79-61 result at 3:00 PM EDT.

Nov 14, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Dashawn Davis (10) shoots for three during the first half against the North Alabama Lions at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

First half

Mississippi State University led 33-30 at halftime after scoring 32 points in the paint and building a biggest lead of 10.

The Dawgs carried 39 total rebounds and 16 second-chance points as part of an early edge that also included 8 fast-break points.

Josh Hubbard’s previous-game line of 22 points and 3 assists reflected the kind of perimeter creation MSU leaned on while the team finished the night with 9 assists.

Auburn stayed within reach in the opening half behind 15 assists for the game and 30 points before the break.

Second half

Mississippi State University scored 28 points after halftime while Auburn put up 49 in the second half to swing the game.

The Dawgs finished at 39 field goal percent with 26 three-point percent and 33 free throw percent as the Tigers ended at 42 field goal percent, 37 three-point percent, and 64 free throw percent.

Auburn’s 10 steals helped force 11 MSU turnovers, and the Tigers turned those takeaways into 14 points off turnovers while the Dawgs produced 11 points off turnovers.

MSU got 8 bench points and matched Auburn with 16 second-chance points, but Auburn’s 11 made three-pointers and 15 fast-break points widened the margin.

Team and player snapshot

Mississippi State Bulldogs post-match stats showed 39 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks, while Auburn recorded 43 rebounds, 10 steals, and 4 blocks.

Quincy Ballard’s previous-game 8 rebounds and Achor Achor’s previous-game 8 rebounds fit a night when MSU collected 8 offensive rebounds and 26 defensive rebounds.

Jayden Epps brought a previous-game mark of 14 points, and Shawn Jones Jr. logged a previous-game 3 blocks as MSU finished with 3 team blocks in this one.

For Auburn, the Tigers’ 7 turnovers and 2.14 assist-to-turnover ratio supported a cleaner possession game than MSU’s 0.82 assist-to-turnover ratio.

What it meant on the floor

The Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Auburn Tigers tactical recap centered on MSU generating 15 makes in the paint while Auburn countered with 11 made three-pointers and a 53 true shooting percent.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs full-time result reflected Auburn’s ability to create separation with a 13-0 most-unanswered run while MSU’s top most-unanswered stretch was 9-0.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs post-game interviews followed a game in which MSU drew 7 fouls and Auburn drew 11, with the Tigers converting 14 free throws to MSU’s 5.

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