Mississippi State’s Lack of Effort In Loss to Missouri 88-61

Mississippi State suffered another tough loss at Humphrey Coliseum, falling to No. 20 Missouri. The Bulldogs had no answer for Missouri’s sharpshooting, led by Caleb Grill’s six three-pointers.

A Tiger on the Loose

After dropping a home game to top-ranked Alabama, Mississippi State looked to bounce back in SEC play. However, Missouri had other plans. The Tigers came out firing in the first half, pushing the pace and scoring efficiently from beyond the arc and inside the paint. While the Bulldogs kept it close at times, Missouri’s offense was relentless. Caleb Grill knocked down 4-of-8 threes in the first half, and Trent Pierce added three more, making it difficult for Mississippi State to gain any momentum.

The second half offered no reprieve. Missouri maintained its offensive rhythm, shooting 46% from three for the game. Mississippi State, on the other hand, struggled mightily. The Bulldogs shot just 15% from three and 34% from the field. Guard Josh Hubbard was a bright spot, leading the team with 24 points on 6-of-11 shooting from deep. Forward KeShawn Murphy was the only other Bulldog in double figures.

Head coach Chris Jans reflected on the team’s struggles.

“Unfortunately, I sensed it a little bit. I tried to do something about it verbally with a couple of guys before the ball was tipped. Usually, you can settle in, and the competitive juices will take over. When it was 35-31 late in the first half, I remember thinking that we could get to halftime... It just went from bad to worse. All of a sudden, it was 14 at halftime. It was a bad stretch for us. It just took the wind out of the crowd’s sails," said Jans.

A Storm of Threes

Missouri’s shooting was the story of the night. The Tigers drained nine threes in the first half alone and finished 15-of-32 from deep. Meanwhile, Mississippi State managed just 36.4% from three. Caleb Grill was on a mission, tallying 20 points while shooting 6-of-11 from deep.

Grill credited his teammates for his success.

“I give credit to the other guards and the bigs out there. Just all teammates because I couldn’t get open if they didn’t make hard cuts... In the stat sheet, it looks like Caleb just made another three, but realistically Tony [Perkins] was the one who made that play happen for me," said Grill.

Defensive Woes at Home

Mississippi State has struggled to defend its home court in SEC play, now sitting at 2-4 in conference games at Humphrey Coliseum. Losses to Kentucky, Alabama, Missouri, and Florida highlight the team’s inability to slow down elite competition. Coach Jans acknowledged the need for adjustments.

“Yeah, it’s our third home loss this year. That’s been a tale to tape—16 [versus Kentucky], 15 [versus Alabama], and 15 [versus Missouri]—and they’ve been efficient doing it. So, we’re going to have to really break it down as a staff and go backward a little bit to change some things because it’s not working," said Jans.

Josh Hubbard emphasized the team’s need to move forward.

“Positivity, moving on. We can’t let this game affect our next game. I think that’s the main thing. Just going back to the drawing board and picking up some things that we did this game to learn from it," said Hubbard.

What’s Next?

Mississippi State gets a week off before heading to Athens to face Georgia on Saturday, February 8. Tip-off at Stegeman Coliseum is set for 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

Jans discussed the importance of the break.

“It’s going to be a long week. We’re going to have a little bounce in our step going into the bye week, or we’re not. Certainly, the ‘or not’ is what won out. So, I haven’t got my mind around exactly what our plan is going to be. I thought I had it, but it may need to be altered now," said Jans.

The Bulldogs will need to regroup quickly if they hope to turn things around in SEC play.