The Mississippi State University men’s basketball team kicked off the month of March with an 81-69 victory over Louisiana State University.
Humphrey Coliseum was packed to the brim with students and fans who decided to spend their Saturday supporting the Maroon and White with hopes of sending the Tigers back to Baton Rouge with a loss. \
The Bulldogs took on yet another Southeastern Conference team with a tough first half, forcing them to reconsider their strategies in order to tackle the LSU Tigers, ultimately ending the half 37-35 in favor of LSU.
During halftime, the team regrouped. Once the second half started, the Bulldogs turned up the heat and played with a new level of intensity.
Sophomore guard Josh Hubbard and transfer guard Riley Kugel discussed the changes in the locker room including mistake reduction and offensive aggressiveness.
“We saw clips on the locker room of where we were making most of our mistakes from,” Hubbard said. “We adjusted to them and just executed, getting Bulldog stops and pushing it.”
Every dunk, 3-pointer, layup and free throw put the fans in an eruption of cheers, creating a constant roar throughout the Hump. From the first half to the second, the noise doubled in decibels as a result of the changes made during halftime.
Hubbard saw a lot of changes in his own play after halftime and commented on how he was encouraged to improve his play.
“I had teammates and staff telling me to keep shooting after being a little frustrated in the first half after not seeing a few going, especially when I was open,” Hubbard said. “My teammates just keep me positive, telling me to keep shooting.”
Redshirt junior forward Keshawn Murphy and Kugel both dunked the ball within the span of a minute, constantly reminding the Tigers whose territory they were in. Kugel shared his thoughts on the victory against LSU.
“It was a big win, like we said every team you’re playing in the SEC is going to be a dog fight,” Kugel said. “So just getting any win you can in this type of time in the league plays is a good win.”
Kugel also made an unusual play backing in his man from the 3-point line all the way to paint, which was suspected addition to his play.
“I like playing the post, especially when it’s a smart defender on me like that,” Kugel said. “It opens up scoring opportunities for me and my teammates, so it’s fun playing the post.”
With one minute left, the Hump was filled with fans dangling their keys. The victorious jingle rang through the coliseum, reminding LSU that it was game over.
By the time there was eight minutes left, the Bulldogs comfortably took on a 7-point lead, exponentially passing up the Tigers and securing the 20th victory of the season.
Head coach Chris Jans shared why this game was so important to the Bulldogs’ season.
“It was as big a game as we’ve had all year long,” Jans said. “I probably repeat that a lot but in this league this year, that’s just the way it is.”
Mississippi State will play its last regular-season game in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday, March 8, at 11 a.m.
