Mississippi St defeats Memphis 71-66

Thrilling Victory: Mississippi St Outlasts Memphis in Close Game

In a nail-biting matchup, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (H) edged out the visiting Memphis Tigers 71-66 at Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday evening.

The home team's strong start set the tone for the game, as they took an early lead of 34-30 at halftime. The Bulldogs' dominant performance in the paint and from beyond the arc kept the Tigers at bay throughout the first half.

In the second half, Memphis fought back with a scoring surge, but Mississippi State's defense held strong, ultimately securing a 5-point win. The largest leads were seen early in the game, as the Bulldogs took an 10-point advantage and the Tigers responded with a 3-point deficit.

The most dominant player for Mississippi State was Jayden Epps, who scored 19 points on 4-9 three-point shooting (58.3% FG). Quincy Ballard grabbed 8 rebounds and contributed 5 points to the cause, while Shawn Jones Jr. chipped in with 4 assists, 9 points, and 5 rebounds.

For Memphis, Curtis Givens III led the way with 18 points on 60.0% shooting from field goal attempts. Julius Thedford provided a solid defensive presence, grabbing 8 rebounds and recording 3 points, while Dug McDaniel contributed 3 assists, 8 points, and 6 rebounds.

Advanced statistics painted an interesting picture of the game. Mississippi State's eFG% (50.0%) was slightly higher than Memphis' (44.4%), indicating that the Bulldogs were more efficient on offense. Meanwhile, the Tigers struggled with turnover percentage (21.4%) compared to Mississippi State's rate of 15 turnovers.

This victory marked a significant win for the Bulldogs in the non-conference schedule, showcasing their ability to compete against top-tier opponents.