Mississippi
Mississippi State basketball vs Oklahoma: Prediction, picks, injury updates and odds
STARKVILLE — The road is where Mississippi State has played some of its best basketball of the 2024-25 season.
That’s where the Bulldogs will be this weekend.
The No. 23 Bulldogs, after topping No. 7 Texas A&M on Tuesday, are playing at Oklahoma (16-10, 3-10 SEC) on Saturday (noon, SEC Network).
MSU (19-7, 7-6) is 10-3 away from Humphrey Coliseum, including 6-2 in true road games.
“It’s been critical for us to win away from home,” coach Chris Jans said. “We’ve had some great wins away from The Hump. Any coach would tell you, it’s probably the truest sign of who you are as a basketball team, in terms of your mental toughness and your character, to be able to do it away from the friendly confines when you have a little more distractions than you normally do.”
Here’s what to know about the matchup.
Oklahoma was 13-0 but Sooners struggled in SEC play
The Sooners had a great start to the season, going 13-0 in nonconference play. That included a 3-0 mark in Quad 1 games against Arizona, Michigan and Louisville. Wins have been difficult to find in the SEC.
They enter Saturday on a five-game losing streak with losses to Auburn, Tennessee, Missouri, LSU and Florida. Four of those losses are by at least 18 points. Oklahoma’s only conference wins are against Arkansas, Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
“You wouldn’t know it on film,” Jans said. “They’re competing at a high level. They’ve lost some really tough, close games.”
There are two areas of weakness for Oklahoma: rebounding and rim defense.
Oklahoma is last in the SEC in rebounds per game at 32.4 and offensive rebounds per game at 8.8. It’s also last in the conference with 2.5 blocks per game.
Oklahoma could have edge if Mississippi State gets in foul trouble
One strength of Oklahoma is at the free throw line. The Sooners shoot 79.4% from the line, the best in the SEC and ninth nationally.
Forward Jalon Moore and guard Jeremiah Fears are third and fourth respectively in the SEC in free throws made per game, and they both shoot over 80% from the line.
Mississippi State shoots 68.5% from the free throw line, second worst in the SEC. It commits 16.8 fouls per game, tied for the 10th most in the conference.
Mississippi State on pace for program record on defense
MSU is allowing its most points per game in Jans’ three seasons but has 248 steals, the most in program history through 26 games. It had 17 steals against Texas A&M, the most in an SEC game in program history.
The Bulldogs average 9.5 steals per game, second in the conference and 14th nationally. Forward Cameron Matthews is tied for fifth nationally and first in the SEC with 2.6 steals per game. He had six against Texas A&M while Josh Hubbard had a career-high four steals.
“I thought it was one of his most complete games that he’s played since he’s been here,” Jans said of Hubbard, who also scored 25 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
Mississippi State vs Oklahoma odds
BetMGM has not yet posted betting lines for this game.
Mississippi State vs Oklahoma injury updates
Mississippi State guard Kanye Clary is out for the season. There are no other reported injuries for this game.
How to watch Mississippi State vs Oklahoma: Time, TV channel, live stream
Mississippi State vs Oklahoma will air on SEC Network. Tipoff is scheduled for noon. Streaming is available via ESPN+.
Mississippi State vs Oklahoma predictions, picks
Mississippi State 74, Oklahoma 66: These are two teams heading in different directions. And with MSU playing well on the road, it should be able to take care of business.
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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Next: GSC at Delta St., then Conference Tournament
GEORGE COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) — A George County High School senior is dead after an SUV hit him while bicycling on Highway 26 Friday night.
Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) officials said at 8:15 p.m. the MHP responded to a fatal crash on Highway 26 in George County.
Those officials said a Ford SUV traveling west on Highway 26 collided with 18-year-old Tyree Bradley of McLain, Mississippi, who was bicycling.
Bradley was fatally injured and died at the scene, MHP officials said.
The crash remains under investigation by the MHP.
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Some losses feel like they drag on longer than the box score suggests, and Mississippi State’s 3-1 opener at Texas A&M fits that category.
It wasn’t a blowout. It wasn’t a game where the Bulldogs looked outmatched.
It was just one of those nights where the early mistakes stuck around and the offense never quite found the swing that could shake them loose.
The frustrating part is how quickly the hole formed. Two solo homers and a wild pitch in the first two innings put Mississippi State behind 3-0, and that was basically the ballgame.
Against a top tier SEC team on the road, spotting three runs that early is a tough ask. The Bulldogs didn’t fold, but they also didn’t cash in when the door cracked open.
“I liked our fight. I think we’re really just working through some things offensively, and trying to stay together,” Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts said. “This team still believes, and we’re going to battle and fight every chance we get, and I think I saw a lot of that. I’m encouraged for what that means for us moving forward, but, you know, they’re a good hitting team, and we’ve got to be able to shut them down early. I don’t think Peja [Goold] had her best stuff, but she continued to battle out there and find ways to get outs.”
They had chances. Two runners stranded in the fifth. Two more in the sixth. Another in the seventh. Des Rivera finally got the Bulldogs on the board with an RBI single, but the big hit that usually shows up for this lineup never arrived.
It wasn’t a lack of traffic. It was a lack of finish.
If there was a bright spot, it came from the bullpen. Delainey Everett gave Mississippi State exactly what it needed after the rocky start.
“That was just a huge relief appearance by Delaney to keep us in it,” Ricketts said. “It’s really good to have her back and healthy these last few weeks because these are the moments where we really need her and rely on her. We know that she’s going to be a big part of the remainder of the season going forward as well.”
Three hitless innings, one baserunner, and a reminder that she’s quietly putting together a strong stretch.
There were individual positives too. Nadia Barbary keeps climbing the doubles list. Kiarra Sells keeps finding ways on base.
But the bigger picture is simple. Mississippi State is now 6-10 in the SEC, and the margin for error is shrinking. Nights like this one are the difference between climbing back into the race and staying stuck in the middle.
They get another shot this morning with the schedule bumped up for weather. The formula isn’t complicated.
Clean up the early innings, keep getting quality relief, and find one or two timely swings. The Bulldogs didn’t get them Friday. They’ll need them today.
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