Last night, one missed shot at the end of the game could have changed everything. Senior guard Josh Hubbard was left with two opportunities for free throws. Two he made, two he lost, and the trajectory of the game experienced its loss.
At the beginning of the game, energy heightened and tension thickened as the classic rivalry heated to a boil when the Mississippi State men’s basketball team came head-to-head with the Ole Miss Rebels. Both teams headed into the matchup 10-7, ready to have an important opponent to break the even record.
This game gave Bulldog head coach Chris Jans his third matchup against Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard, who is in his third season coaching at Ole Miss. Jans shared his thoughts on the situation of the game.
“All that matters is who won and who lost,” Jans said.
Jans also shared his thoughts on the final play.
“We just couldn’t find a way to put the ball through the goal the last couple of possessions, but from where I sat, it was a completely different feeling in the huddles compared to maybe some of our huddles in the previous two games,” said Jans.
He also addressed the performance of the top two scorers: Josh Hubbard and Jayden Epps.
“In terms of Epps and Hubbard, they just didn’t have an efficient night,” said Jans. “They just didn’t shoot the ball the way they’re capable of.”
With a 2-2 conference record, the Bulldogs needed Hubbard and Epps at their best to achieve victory over the Rebels. Jayden Epps broke the initial 0-0, followed by two dunks from senior Shawn Jones Jr. to lead the Rebels 6-0 within the first minute.
Epps shared what Jans has been telling the team.
“He just told us to keep playing, keep trusting ourselves,” Epps said. “Our team has kept trusting in us.”
The white-out momentum from fans propelled the energy forward as the dawgs went to battle. Swish after shot, the Bulldogs kept up with one thing extremely well during the first half: they were hungry for possession. The ball appeared magnetic to the hands of maroon and white defenders as they snatched rebounds from the Rebels’ missed throws.
The lead stayed under ten points throughout the first half, but Mississippi State worked hard to keep Ole Miss from catching up all the way, ending the half at 30-27 in favor of the Bulldogs.
During halftime, a retro light show opened a ceremony with LED lights highlighting the court. Members of the 1996 Final Four team were honored by having their former numbers placed on the court. Fans were also given towels to commemorate the team’s success, which were placed in the stands. The show reminded fans and the current team of the greatness achieved by Bulldog alumni.
Ole Miss and Mississippi State have played each other 273 times, earning them the title of the twelfth most-played rivalry in the history of college basketball. Since 1914, the Bulldogs have held the lead 152-120.
The second half started with Ole Miss running up the score, only to boil Bulldog blood and give an incentive to put in the extra work. It appeared that Ole Miss simply caught on to the momentum, and the drop in energy from the fans showed that this was going to be a problem, and it was.
If Hubbard had made his last two free throws, defense could have pushed Ole Miss back for nine seconds, securing a win. However, Hubbard’s two missed free throws couldn’t be made up for with nine seconds on offense. Freshman Jamarion Davis-Fleming discussed the final play that lost the game.
“I would just say you can name a bunch of plays, a bunch of things during the game,” said Fleming. “I wouldn’t just say that one play is the reason, but they say sometimes that things just don’t go your way. It’s one shot, one turnover, one anything.”
The Bulldogs will be back in Humphrey Coliseum on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. CST to face Vanderbilt University. The game can be streamed on SEC Network or ESPN+.
