Mississippi
Mississippi State basketball vs South Carolina: Predictions, picks, injury updates and odds
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State basketball had its way earlier in the season against South Carolina, trouncing the Gamecocks by 35 points in the SEC opener at Humphrey Coliseum.
South Carolina hasn’t won since that game three weeks ago. Bulldogs coach Chris Jans knows what happened in that matchup won’t necessarily dictate the outcome when No. 14 MSU (15-4, 3-3 SEC) plays at South Carolina (10-9, 0-6) on Saturday (noon, SEC Network).
“We’ve been around it long enough to understand that each game is its own little chapter in your season and what happened in that game really is fairly irrelevant weeks later,” he said Thursday. “Everybody gets better as the season progresses.”
Here’s what to know about the matchup.
South Carolina is coming off a heartbreaking loss
The Gamecocks haven’t won since they lost to Mississippi State at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 4. In fact, that game started what’s now a six-game losing streak.
Three of those losses are against top 10 teams in Alabama, Auburn and Florida. South Carolina lost by three points to Auburn, three points to Vanderbilt and one point to Florida on Wednesday. It led for 38 minutes, 32 seconds of game time against Florida before allowing a game-winner by Will Richard with five seconds remaining.
“They’re snakebitten almost,” Jans said.
South Carolina has the worst offense in the SEC at 71.5 points per game. It hasn’t scored more than 74 points since Dec. 17. The Gamecocks are also last in the SEC with 5.2 steals per game.
Mississippi State contained Collin Murray-Boyles last game
Collin Murray-Boyles is viewed as a legitimate NBA prospect for the upcoming draft. However, the 6-foot-8 sophomore forward did not play well against MSU earlier this season. He had five points on 2-of-9 shooting with 10 rebounds but six turnovers and was a minus-27.
Murray-Boyles has scored in double figures in four straight games, including 25 points against Auburn.
“I got as much respect for him as anybody in the league,” Jans said. “I love how he plays the game.”
Mississippi State needs a faster starts on the road
Mississippi State has lost its past two road games to Tennessee and Auburn. Slow starts were an issue in both of them.
Against Auburn, MSU fell behind 10-0. And against Tennessee, it trailed 8-0. The Bulldogs never led in either game.
“As a staff, we’ve talked about it since the Tennessee game, and we need to fix it from the top down,” Jans said.
Mississippi State vs South Carolina odds
BetMGM has not posted betting lines for this game.
Mississippi State vs South Carolina injury updates
South Carolina was without Jamarii Thomas and Myles Stute against Florida. Thomas, who’s second on the team in scoring, has been out since Jan. 8 because of a knee sprain. Stute is out indefinitely with a blood clot.
Mississippi State guard Kanye Clary hasn’t played since Nov. 29 because of a lower-leg injury.
How to watch Mississippi State vs South Carolina: Time, TV channel, live stream
Mississippi State vs South Carolina will air on SEC Network. Tipoff is scheduled for noon. Streaming is available via ESPN+.
Mississippi State vs South Carolina prediction, picks
Mississippi State 78, South Carolina 68: The Gamecocks need a win badly, but this doesn’t appear to be a favorable matchup. MSU should be able to limit Murray-Boyles again with Cameron Matthews.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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Mississippi
11 indicted in $12.3 million Mississippi Medicaid fraud scheme, AG says
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Eleven people have been indicted in connection with an alleged Medicaid fraud scheme involving more than $12.3 million.
This according to Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who said the indictments involve allegations of fraudulent billing, wire fraud, and/or false documentation seeking to defraud the government.
All 11 charged include:
- Isluv Robertson, 36, of Jackson
- Shawncee Vassar-Cunningham, 51, of Olive Branch
- Katricia Smith, 47, of Olive Branch
- Sheila Boney Collins, 53, of Hollandale
- Ahyana Nicole Crosby, 34, of Laurel
- Angela Nannette Crosby, 51, of Laurel
- Yolanda Evette Blackman, 54, of Hattiesburg
- Linda Jenkins, 46, of Hermanville
- Deja Almore, 30, of Yazoo City
- Curtis Moore, 51, of Gulfport
- Taylor Christian Rushing, 34, of Gautier
Officials said the defendants are accused of participating in health care fraud schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in intended loss.
“These indictments are just the latest efforts we are taking to fight waste, fraud, and corruption,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I am proud to partner with President Trump to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure that money meant to help those in need is not stolen from safety net programs. I will remain laser-focused on rooting out fraud, recovering money wrongfully stolen from hard-working taxpayers, and holding fraudsters accountable.”
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Copyright 2026 WLBT. All rights reserved.
Mississippi
Governor: At least 47 homes, 50 roads damaged by Mississippi storms, flooding – SuperTalk Mississippi
Gov. Tate Reeves has released updated damage assessments following the severe weather and flooding that inundated parts of southern Mississippi last week.
According to Reeves, assessments through the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency are ongoing, and disaster aid is still being distributed through a mix of federal, state, and local agencies, along with nonprofits. But numbers as of Monday morning showed dozens of homes and businesses damaged and even more public roads affected.

Among the counties with significant impacts are Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Jackson, Pearl River, Perry and Stone. Across those counties and others, at least 47 homes were affected, seven of which were completely destroyed. Nine businesses sustained damaged, six of which are considered major. One farm sustained major damage.
50 public roadways were affected, including four that are considered major and four that were completely destroyed. Two bridges sustained major damage, while two public buildings sustained minor damage.
Reeves said two rivers are in the moderate flood stage – Leaf River near McClain and the Pascagoula River at Graham Ferry.
15 other waterways are in the minor flood stage: Big Black River near Bentonia, Biloxi River near Lyman, Chickasawhay River at Enterprise, Chickasawhay River at Leakesville, East Hobolochitto Creek near Caesar, Pascagoula River at Merrill, Pearl River at Jackson, Pearl River near Pearl River, Pearl River near Philadelphia, Pearl River at Rockport, Strong River at D’Lo, Tallahala Creek at Laurel, Tuscolameta Creek at Laurel, West Hobolochitto Creek near McNeill, and Wolf River around Gulfport.


Damage reports could have worsened on Monday with additional rounds of severe weather in some parts of the state. The worst of the storms and floods came with the remnants of what was Tropical Storm Arthur late last week and into the weekend.
Mississippi
Family of 1-year-old killed by police at a Walmart in Mississippi wants video released
(AP) – A Mississippi family whose 1-year-old child was killed when police fired into a moving vehicle said Monday they want authorities to release video showing whether officers were in danger of being struck when one of them opened fire.
The shooting has sparked outrage in the small city of Senatobia, where some say it’s the latest in a series of troubling encounters between police and Black residents.
Kohen Wiley was riding with his mother and another woman in a Walmart parking lot on June 14 when police responded to a shoplifting call. The family says they were driving away, while the officers say the car was heading toward them.
“I watched my baby take his first breath, and I watched my baby take his last breath,” Vellesiya Wiley said at a news conference Monday.
The other woman in the car, whose name has not been released, suffered “critical injuries,” according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the inquiry.
Standing alongside Kohen’s parents and grandparents at a local church, civil rights attorney Ben Crump told reporters Monday that the best way to determine whether the officers were at risk is to publicly release any body camera, dash camera or Walmart security camera video.
“If that is the truth, then show us that,” Crump said. “The longer you delay releasing the video, the more distrustful we become.”
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation declined to comment on what videos investigators have or whether they would be released, agency spokesperson Bailey Martin said Monday.
“This case has been made a top priority,” Martin said in an emailed statement, “and we currently have multiple agents working tirelessly to ensure every aspect of the investigation is thoroughly examined.”
The agency says the officers weren’t hurt. Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford did not return a phone message seeking comment Monday.
State investigators gave an initial account of the shooting last week, saying that when Senatobia police arrived at the Walmart, they found two women and a child getting into a car and driving away.
“Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene,” the agency statement said.
Kohen’s mother has said the shoplifting call was over a box of diapers that her friend was carrying — and that she believes her friend had paid for the diapers. State investigators declined to comment on those details.
Crump questioned why police didn’t let the car go and take down the license plate number.
“They were called over a box of diapers and a family now has to bury their baby,” Crump said Monday. “You cannot put those two things next to each other and call it reasonable policing.”
Crump also said an independent autopsy would be performed.
While there’s no question the child was shot by police, he said, details about the angles at which any bullets struck the child could yield clues as to whether the officer fired from in front of the car or off to the side — and therefore whether that officer was in any danger.
Policing expert Ian Adams, who teaches criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, told The Associated Press last week that police should know that “shooting into a moving vehicle is a very bad idea and one to be avoided at almost all costs,” noting the danger to passengers and other bystanders.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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