Needing a statement win after Saturday’s debacle, Mississippi State would welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide to the Hump for a massive Southeastern Conference Super Tuesday matchup. 

Alabama would come to Starkville with only eight scholarship players after five games were listed as out on Tuesday night with the injury bug. While the Mississippi State Bulldogs came into Tuesday’s matchup with the Crimson Tide at full strength. 

Saturday was a wakeup call for the Bulldogs as they travelled to Lexington into the depths of Rupp Arena, where they faced a desperate Coach Mark Pope-led Kentucky team, who dominated Mississippi State in the second half before pulling away with a 92-68 victory. Despite a twenty-point game from Josh Hubbard, thirteen from Jayden Epps, and Achor Achor, the Bulldogs were unable to continue the winning streak of two games to keep atop the Southeastern Conference standings. 

For Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide, despite a win over Kentucky to open South Conference play, the Crimson Tide have struggled to find another conference win after falling victim to the injury bug. They came into the matchup needing a road conference win in the worst way possible and were out to get it at all costs possible. 

In the first half of play, it was hard to tell the difference as both Alabama and Mississippi State traded jabs and leads, but it was the Crimson Tide who went on a 12-2 run in the last 4:28 to take a 36-34 lead over the Bulldogs to the halftime break. 

Not a single Mississippi State player scored in the double digits at halftime as Epps and Achor led the way with seven first-half points. 

Alabama would open the second half with vengeance as they raced out to a 53-39 lead over Mississippi State at the under-16 media timeout. In between the under-16 and under-12 media timeout, Mississippi State saw Brandon Walker get ejected for a flagrant two foul. At the under-12, it was still Alabama holding the lead over the Bulldogs at 62-51. Alabama had extended the lead to 88-70 at the final media timeout of the game with 3:46 remaining in the game. 

Tuesday night was just another night where the second-half adjustments made by the other team were too much for the Bulldogs to overcome as they fell to 2-2 in Southeastern Conference play and 10-7 overall as the margin of error to reach another NCAA Tournament at-large bid continues to shrink. Just like in the Kentucky game on Saturday, Mississippi State came out in the first half playing Mississippi State basketball, but a bad second half opened the can of worms for Alabama to pull away in the second half as the Hump emptied midway through the second half. 

Mississippi State will remain home on Saturday night as they welcome the Rebels of Ole Miss to the Hump for a late night rivarly showdown. 

Photo Credits- Alabama Basketball on X