It is no secret that fans are the epitome of spirit that drives the energy of the Mississippi State University Bulldogs. Their loyalty and enthusiasm was apparent as MSU fans stormed the court of Humphrey Coliseum after Tuesday night’s 70-54 victory of Texas A&M.
Mississippi State tipped off a game that the Aggies were favored to win. With a series of home losses to conference teams, hope in the team started to decline.
Josh Hubbard was the first player to throw points on the board with a 2-pointer to start off the game. A three from Melendez followed and the Bulldogs were off to a good start, however, A&M matched them and added some.
MSU Roadrunners, official tour guides of the university, sat courtside, filled with spirit and eagerness to watch the Bulldogs dominate. The supporters who routinely dress as bananas also showed up to incite energy into fans. Of course, this energy led to a win for Mississippi State. The entire coliseum was dressed for the occasion of cheering on the Maroon and White.
The Bulldogs trailed behind by no more than five points during the first half and caught up at the end 31-30 TAMU. During this break, the team took some time to strategize how they would send their opponent back to Aggieland.
“A&M’s good at just dragging you into the ring,” head coach Chris Jans said. “They’re a physical basketball team. They are number one in the country for offensive rebounding. They are number one in the SEC for offensive rebounding, they’re number one in defensive rebounding, and they’re number one in an unbelievably athletic league in forcing turnovers. We obviously knew how well they were going to play. And you don’t have a choice at times, we talked a lot about that, and they take you in the trenches.”
During halftime, fans decided that it was not time to back down. The Hump was heavy with the presence of supporters who continued to cheer, chant and reassure the Bulldogs of whose territory the Hump really was.
While the team prepared for the second half, so did the fans. Energy was on the rise and fans were ready to give the team support and energy for the remainder of the game, no matter the outcome.
“It was the last thing we talked about before we went out,” Jans said. “I don’t want anyone in the locker room talking about what we should’ve did. I want you to leave everything you’ve got on the court.”
When the second half started, it was obvious that the Bulldogs had planned to come back out and give it all they had.
MSU took the first score of the second half, which propelled the team to keep working hard until the clock hit zero. With less than six minutes to go, MSU went up 49-42, and the rest is history.
The momentum that the Bulldogs complied to keep the victory in Starkville did not die down for a second. Each player gave it all they had, and the fans kept the coliseum loud.
Each second was an opportunity for the team, and each opportunity helped the Bulldogs prevail in the end.
“If you don’t take advantage of it, they’re just missed opportunities,” Jans said.
The Bulldogs fell to Oklahoma on the road after their victory on Saturday, Feb. 22, and will look to bounce back as they host LSU this Saturday at Humphrey Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
