Mississippi
Fears scores 27 as Oklahoma knocks off No. 21 Mississippi State 93-87 to snap a 5-game skid
NORMAN, Okla. — Jeremiah Fears had 27 points and a career-high 10 assists, and Oklahoma defeated No. 21 Mississippi State 93-87 on Saturday to snap a five-game losing skid and revive its NCAA Tournament hopes.
Fears, an 18-year-old freshman, made 7 of 12 field goals and 11 of 14 free throws. It was one of his most efficient performances overall and his second-best scoring effort of the season.
Jalon Moore scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half and Sam Godwin had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Sooners (17-10, 4-10 Southeastern Conference).
Josh Hubbard scored 19 points and KeShawn Murphy added 16 for Mississippi State (19-8, 7-7), which was coming off wins against ranked opponents Mississippi and Texas A&M.
Mississippi State led 37-34 at halftime, despite 15 points from Fears.
Moore made a 3-pointer, then dunked on a fast break to put the Sooners up 44-41 early in the second half. He hit another 3-pointer to push the margin to 53-48.
Oklahoma’s Brycen Goodine hit a 3-pointer from the corner and was fouled with 4:50 remaining. He made the free throw to put the Sooners up 81-69.
Mississippi State forward RJ Melendez (22) looks to shoots against Oklahoma forward Jalon Moore (14) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Norman, Okla. Credit: AP/Gerald Leong
Mississippi State kept scrapping. Claudell Harris Jr. made a contested corner 3 to cut Oklahoma’s lead to 90-87 with 28 seconds remaining.
Takeaways
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs had 20 offensive rebounds and 21 second-chance points yet shot just 39.7% from the field.
Oklahoma: The Sooners, who have struggled with mistakes this season, committed just 11 turnovers.
Key moment
Moore collected a defensive rebound in traffic and was fouled with 11.3 seconds remaining. He made the first of two free throws to give Oklahoma a 93-87 lead.
Mississippi State guard Riley Kugel (2) goes for a free ball against Oklahoma forward Sam Godwin (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Norman, Okla. Credit: AP/Gerald Leong
Key stat
Oklahoma shot 68% from the field in the second half and 52.7% overall.
Up next
Mississippi State visits No. 4 Alabama on Tuesday night.
Oklahoma hosts No. 17 Kentucky on Wednesday night.
Mississippi
Mississippi lawmakers face pressure to counter looming federal cuts to health care after punting this session
Wicker: Mississippi powered Artemis II
Published 4:00 pm Monday, April 20, 2026
For nine days this month, space travel captivated the world. Families gathered around their screens as four astronauts strapped into the Integrity spacecraft docked at the Kennedy Space Center. As the launch countdown ended, four Mississippi-tested RS-45 engines ignited, and the ground shook. Seven seconds later, the Integrity had liftoff. For six intense minutes, the RS-45 engines rocketed the crew into high Earth orbit, sending them on their historic lunar flyby mission.
Mississippi should take a bow. The four RS-45 engines were tested at our very own Stennis Space Center, where Mississippians have been ensuring the quality of rocket engines since the Apollo program. For eight years, engineers, safety managers, and logistics specialists from the state have tested the engines that powered the Integrity and will power future Artemis launches. Their work paid off, and the launch was a marvel of engineering. NASA leadership made special mention of the rocket engine burn, calling it “flawless.”
One Mississippian in particular helped make the mission a success. Hernando native Matthew Ramsey handled a great deal of responsibility as the mission manager for Artemis II. The Mississippi State University graduate helped set the focus for the mission and equip the astronauts and staff for the job. Matthew also served as the deputy of the Mission Management Team, the group of NASA staff that comes together just days before a launch. The team assumes the risks of the mission ahead, and they make tough calls during flight if challenges arise.
As the Artemis II journey progressed, the world could not stop watching. Our social media feeds were full of photos and videos beamed down from the heavens. They captured humorous situations, such as the astronauts adjusting to life without gravity or testing their plumbing skills.
We also witnessed moments of majesty. On the fifth day, the Integrity began using the Moon’s gravity to slingshot our astronauts back home. That trajectory led the crew around the Moon, farther from Earth than any humans have ever gone. As the explorers looked upon outer space, they captured stunning images. Among the most remarkable is Earthset, in which Commander Reid Wiseman photographed Earth as it appeared to fall below the horizon of the moon.
When their spacecraft returned to Earth’s atmosphere, the crew was traveling nearly 35 times faster than the speed of sound. Ten minutes later, a series of parachutes began opening. Eventually, the spacecraft’s speed fell to 20 miles per hour, and the crew splashed down into the Pacific Ocean.
Mississippi was once again there to assist. The astronauts were greeted by the USS John P. Murtha, a U.S. military vessel built in the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula. The ship’s amphibious design was suited to welcome the space travelers home—equipped with a helicopter pad, medical facilities, and the communications system needed to locate and recover the astronauts safely. Crucially, the USS Murtha was built with a well deck, a sea-based garage that stored the Integrity on the journey to shore.
Artemis II was a resounding success, paving the way for planned future flights. When the Artemis program returns humans to the moon, Mississippi will be there every step of the way.
-
California2 minutes agoCalifornia Islamic calligraphy artist preserves ancient tradition during Arab American Heritage Month
-
Colorado8 minutes agoAvalanche vs. Kings Game 2: Key takeaways as Colorado wins OT thriller, takes 2-0 series lead
-
Connecticut14 minutes agoOpinion: This Earth Day make polluters pay
-
Delaware20 minutes agoDelaware’s first elementary school radio station hits the airwaves
-
Florida26 minutes agoFlorida investigating AI role in mass shooting at university
-
Georgia32 minutes agoMan accused in fatal Georgia shooting spree dies in jail, officials say
-
Hawaii38 minutes agoPolice Commission narrows Honolulu chief candidates to 6 semifinalists
-
Idaho44 minutes ago11-year-old from Idaho competing for $20K, national spotlight – East Idaho News