Mississippi State Struggles in Blowout Loss to Auburn, 88-66
The saying “doing the same thing and expecting a different result is insanity” could not be more fitting for Mississippi State’s loss to Auburn on Saturday. The top-ranked Tigers proved too much for the Bulldogs, handing them yet another SEC loss.
Welcome to the Jungle
From the opening tip, Auburn came out firing. The Tigers went on a 10-0 scoring run, leaving Mississippi State scrambling to catch up. By halftime, the Bulldogs were down 27-46, as Auburn shot an impressive 17 of 29 from the field and 7 of 13 from beyond the arc (53.8%). In the second half, Mississippi State mounted a brief comeback, cutting the lead to 13 points late in the game. However, Auburn shut the door, sealing the win on their home court.
Head coach Chris Jans spoke about Auburn's depth and size, which proved to be a major challenge for the Bulldogs.
“They were as good as advertised. The thing that jumped off the page was their size all over the court. They don’t play many guys that aren’t 6-4, other than the freshman [Tahaad] Pettiford. Obviously, he’s a very talented player, and I’ve never seen him play like that in person. We’re pretty familiar with their team, and they’ve been playing very well. They didn’t have [Johni] Broome, but they had plenty of guys step up and rally to pick it up,” said Jans.
Mississippi State’s Offensive Struggles
Mississippi State’s offense went cold throughout the game. As a team, the Bulldogs shot just 22 of 63 (34.9%) from the field, and their three-point shooting was abysmal at 3 of 24 (12.5%). Fortunately, four players managed to reach double digits: Josh Hubbard (17), RJ Melendez (15), and Keyshawn Murphy and Claudell Harris Jr. (11 each).
Jans reflected on the difficulties his team faced offensively against Auburn's defense.
“I don’t think so. We got to where we had to get in the paint to try and move the defense. It’s counterproductive when they’re so big and physical at the rim. They blocked nine of our shots in the first half. I don’t know if that’s ever happened. I mean, they only blocked two in the second half. It’s also a difference in how it was officiated differently in both halves. They gave us fits in the first half; it wasn’t just one of our guys. Hindsight is 20/20. We just didn’t move the ball well enough to counteract their size,” said Jans.
Gut Check Time
Mississippi State is at a crossroads. After a promising offseason, expectations were high, but two straight SEC losses—first to Kentucky and now Auburn—have put the Bulldogs’ resolve to the test. In a conference known for its fierce competition, Mississippi State needs to refocus on defense. While the Bulldogs have enough offensive firepower, their defense has been struggling to keep up with high-scoring opponents.
Jans discussed his team’s mindset and how they can bounce back against their rival, Ole Miss.
“We’ll find out how resilient we are. This is the first two-game skid that this team has had. We talked about it after the game that the majority of teams in this league will go through tough stretches. It comes down to maturing and growing. But most importantly, it comes down to staying connected and believing in each other. We have to believe in each other and in our style of play because there are going to be some teams that don’t. Those teams will struggle. That’s going to be a big deal for us, doing all those things. We know what we have ahead of us on Saturday. In my experience coaching teams, by Thursday practice and gameday on Saturday, this will be the furthest thing from our minds,” said Jans.
Looking Ahead: Ole Miss Rivalry
Mississippi State will return home to face their rival Ole Miss on January 18th at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2. With the pressure mounting, the Bulldogs will need to find their rhythm and show resilience if they hope to get back on track.
