As close to 10,000 Missississippi State fans made their way into the Hump for a Saturday night of Southeastern Conference Baseball, Mississippi State Basketball faced a difficult challenge as they welcomed the Crimson Tide of Alabama to town. With the perfect environment, Mississippi State fans brought the homecourt advantage in hopes the Bulldogs would perform the way Bulldogs are supposed to perform in the big moments. However, too many mistakes damned Mississippi State down the stretch, and the Bulldogs left Saturday night with more questions than answers as they turn the focus to Kentucky on Wednesday night.

Everything was there for the Bulldogs to have a memorable night on Saturday night to carry the momentum from the win over Tennessee on Wednesday night. Too many mental mistakes combined with missed free throws ruined the night and the chance to earn another quad-one NCAA Tournament-caliber win.

So, what happened? What were the takeaways? What does the path forward back to success look like for the Bulldogs as they navigate their second Southeastern Conference loss?

Well, I don’t care who you are or how much talent you have on the roster; you have got to make free throws to win games in the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State went 15-27 for an embarrassing 56% from the charity stripe on Saturday night. Ideally, teams that win championships in basketball shoot at least 70% or better from the charity stripe. Free throws are the best way to score points in basketball. They’re unguarded mid-range shots that make or break teams, separating them from defeat and victory. Getting better is the easy part. Start and end practice with countless free throws, not leaving the gym until each guy hits the 70% mark.

As far as mental mistakes and turnovers go, that’s one of the things in basketball where accountability from the top of the roster to the bottom is crucial for a team’s success. There’s only so much Head Coach Chris Jans and his staff can do without losing sight of the bigger picture. Accountability comes from leadership from within. Limit the stupid fouls, the bad shots taken from guys who have business shooting from anywhere but around the basketball, and eliminate the careless turnovers, creating more winning opportunities around the court.

There’s still a lot of basketball remaining. Mississippi State has the roster to do something special in year two of the Chris Jans era in Starkville. If the guys on the court give their all for the maroon and white, the Mississippi State fans should continue giving their all to push this team to the finish line of each game.