The Mississippi State Bulldogs faced a challenging contest against the Auburn Tigers, concluding with a tight scoreline of 73-66. The Bulldogs entered the game without a rank, while the Tigers boasted the 12th spot in national standings. Despite their efforts, Mississippi State ended with more losses than wins at 0-1, while Auburn improved their record to 1-0.

Mar 16, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl calls to his players against the Mississippi State Bulldogsduring the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The Bulldogs demonstrated tenacity on defense with an impressive tally of 11 steals and blocked three shots. However, they struggled from beyond the arc, converting only three out of fifteen attempts for a modest twenty percent from three-point range. Inside the paint was a different story as they managed to put up twenty-eight points.

Mississippi State's offense saw them making forty-nine percent of their two-point attempts (20 out of 41) but overall shot just forty-one percent from the field (23 out of 56). They also had opportunities at the free-throw line but capitalized on only sixty-three percent (17 out of 27). The team's rebounding effort was strong with thirty-seven total rebounds; eighteen defensive and an impressive fourteen offensive boards contributed to twelve second-chance points.

Mar 16, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Turnovers were an issue for Mississippi State as they gave up possession fourteen times which led to sixteen points off turnovers for Auburn. In contrast, their assist-to-turnover ratio stood at a lowly 0.64 with seven assists recorded throughout the game.

On the other side, Auburn made fifty percent of their field goals (25 out of 50) and showed efficiency from two-point range by making sixty-one percent (19 out of 31). Their free throw shooting was notably better than that of Mississippi State at seventy-seven percent accuracy (17 out of 22). The Tigers also managed to block eight shots and gathered five steals while committing one less personal foul than Mississippi State's nineteen.

Auburn capitalized on fast break opportunities scoring twelve fast break points compared to Mississippi State's eight. They also maintained better ball distribution ending with fifteen assists which contributed to an assist-to-turnover ratio above one (1.07).

As both teams fought hard through two halves each scoring thirty-one points in the first half before Auburn pulled away in the second half adding forty-two points against Mississippi State's thirty-five; fans witnessed six ties and five lead changes during this intense matchup.

Looking ahead after this semifinal clash at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, fans can tune into future broadcasts featuring these teams as they continue their season campaigns – no predictions here but expect more exciting basketball action ahead!

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