Field Level Media
05 Feb 2023, 07:10 GMT+10
Tolu Smith scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as host Mississippi State defeated Missouri 63-52 Saturday in Starkville, Miss., for its third straight victory.
D.J Jeffries added 10 points and got nine rebounds for the Bulldogs (15-8, 3-7 Southeastern Conference), who led the entire game while winning for the 12th time in their last 13 games against Missouri.
DeAndre Gholston scored 12 points, D'Moi Hodge tallied 11 and Kobe Brown added 10 for the Tigers (17-6, 5-5). They came into the game averaging 83.3 points but finished with their season-low total.
Mississippi State shot just 3-for-20 from 3-point range but scored 32 points in the paint.
Missouri shot just 1-for-11 from 3-point range in the first half and 6-for-23 for the game.
The Bulldogs opened the game with an 8-1 run, capped by Shakeel Moore's 3-point jumper. They pushed their lead to 17-10 as Moore hit another 3-pointer.
They kept pounding the ball into Smith, whose strong low-post play drew three first-half fouls on forward Noah Carter. Missouri had to deploy seldom-used walk-on Mabor Majak, a 7-foot center, to defend Smith for stretches.
After the Bulldogs pushed their lead to 20-12, the Tigers tied the game with a 14-6 surge triggered by Isiaih Mosley's 3-point jumper.
But Mississippi State closed the half with a 7-1 run, with Jeffries getting to the rim twice, to pull out a 33-27 lead.
The Bulldogs opened the second half with a 12-4 push to expand their lead to 45-31. Jeffries got the Bulldogs started with a 3-point jumper and Smith attacked the basket for seven more points.
The Tigers stabilized with Nick Honor's two 3-point jumpers and Brown's two drives to the basket. That cut their deficit to 45-41 with 10:38 left.
But the Bulldogs answered with an 11-2 run to re-establish control for good.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Kansas City Post news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Kansas City Post.
More InformationISTANBUL/PARIS/BRUSSELS: As searing temperatures blanket much of Europe, wildfires are erupting and evacuation orders are being issued...
VENICE, Italy: Over the weekend, hundreds of protesters marched through the narrow streets of Venice to voice their opposition to billionaire...
PARIS, France: France is taking stronger steps to reduce smoking. A new health rule announced on Saturday will soon ban smoking in...
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed Elon Musk's success has been built on government subsidies. Without...
EVERGLADES, Florida: Over the weekend, a diverse coalition of environmental activists, Native American leaders, and residents gathered...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks diverged on Wednesday for the second day in a row. The Standard and Poor's 500 hit a new all-time...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. dollar continues to lose ground, weighed down by growing concerns over Washington's fiscal outlook...
KABUL, Afghanistan: Afghanistan, long associated with war and instability, is quietly trying to rebrand itself as a destination for...
SANTA CLARA, California: Executives at Nvidia have quietly been cashing in on the AI frenzy. According to a report by the Financial...
NEW YORK, New York - Global stock indices closed with divergent performances on Tuesday, as investors weighed corporate earnings, central...
TORONTO, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late on June 29 that trade negotiations with the U.S. have recommenced...