Mississippi State University Men’s Basketball secured a dramatic 84-81 overtime victory against No. 21 Ole Miss Saturday night at Humphrey Coliseum, marking the first-ever ranked matchup between the in-state rivals.
Junior guard Riley Kugel’s game-winning 3-pointer with under two minutes left in overtime solidified the Bulldogs’ place in the SEC race.
The former Florida Gator led the Bulldogs with 21 points in his return from an injury, including the decisive shot during a pivotal sequence. After Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell appeared poised to extend the Rebels’ one-point lead on a fast break, Mississippi State’s senior forward RJ Melendez came from behind to block Murrell’s layup attempt. Redshirt junior forward KeShawn Murphy grabbed the ball and passed ahead to sophomore guard Josh Hubbard, who found graduate forward Cameron Matthews. Matthews then passed it to Kugel in the corner for the go-ahead basket.
Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans had nothing but praise for this play after the game.
“It was a heck of an exchange,” Jans said. “You can argue it probably won the game.”
Ole Miss rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to force overtime, with Murrell hitting a clutch 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation. Murrell finished with 15 points, while point guard Sean Pedulla led the Rebels with 20. Mississippi State’s defense, however, slowed standout forward Malik Dia, holding him to eight points and two rebounds.
The Bulldogs dominated early, starting the game on an 11-0 run and building an 18-4 lead. Mississippi State controlled the boards in the first half, out-rebounding Ole Miss 25-10 and scoring nine second-chance points.
Kugel’s performance provided a spark in his first game back after missing matchups against Kentucky and Auburn. Along with his 21 points, Kugel added three rebounds, two assists and a block.
Kugel was ecstatic to play after dealing with a hand injury.
“I was itching to get back out there,” Kugel said. “I was just glad to be there to hit some shots tonight.”
Jans praised the hustle and mental toughness his team displayed through the high stakes and emotional contest.
“It’s a totally bought-in bunch of Bulldogs who put team over self,” Jans said. “This win was for the Bulldogs in our community and in our state.”
Mississippi State now turns its attention to a road test against No.6 Tennessee, looking to build on a win that could define its season. This game will be broadcast out of Knoxville on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. Jan. 21.
