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Men’s Basketball: Mississippi State overcomes ugly start in win over Prairie View A&M

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Men’s Basketball: Mississippi State overcomes ugly start in win over Prairie View A&M


STARKVILLE — Chris Jans would have preferred not to need Cameron Matthews on Sunday.

Mississippi State’s head coach said the fifth-year senior forward has been dealing with a foot injury for “weeks,” and that Matthews had not touched a basketball since Wednesday night’s win over Pittsburgh. But with the Bulldogs chasing the lead for almost the entire first half against Prairie View A&M, Jans broke glass in case of emergency and inserted Matthews into the game.

Matthews looked hobbled at times but played nearly all of the second half as MSU rallied for a 91-84 win over the scrappy Panthers after trailing by as many as 15 points early. He and the Bulldogs will have five days off before taking the court again Saturday against McNeese in Tupelo.

“I didn’t want to necessarily play him, but he was going to be available if we thought we needed him to win this game,” Jans said. “We decided to make the decision, and he certainly had a big impact on the game. He changed the tenor of the game at the end of the first half and the minutes he played in the second half.”

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Prairie View entered Sunday with the worst scoring defense among 355 Division I teams, allowing 98.5 points per game. MSU (8-1) had just 14 points 10 minutes into the game and missed 11 of their first 16 shots before finding their rhythm.

The far bigger issue for the Bulldogs, though, was on the defensive end. The Panthers (1-8) made six straight shots early in the game and used a 13-0 run to build a 27-12 lead as MSU’s defensive intensity from its blowout of Pitt four days earlier was nowhere to be found. Prairie View made 56.4 percent of its shots for the game and finished 10-for-19 from 3-point range.

“It was not a very good performance defensively,” Jans said. “They have good players, and when you give good players confidence, anything can happen. Some of it was that, some of it was just guys not being where they should be positionally. The early success they had against us gave their team confidence, gave their staff confidence, and they rode that.”

The Bulldogs gradually reeled the Panthers back in over the last 10 minutes of the first half. A Josh Hubbard 3-pointer cut the MSU deficit to two with just more than a minute left, and Claudell Harris Jr.’s baseline jumper tied the game going into the break.

Hubbard shook off a slow start and led all scorers with 25 points, while Harris had 21 on 6-for-9 shooting. Each finished with 16 second-half points, including seven apiece during a 14-1 run that turned a one-point deficit into a 12-point Bulldogs lead.

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“I have a lot of talented teammates,” Harris said. “I see them work hard day in and day out, so (it’s about) trusting that they’re going to make plays for themselves, make plays for me. I’m just focusing on the defense, and it came to me tonight.”

Shawn Jones Jr., making his fourth start of the season, had 11 points, and Michael Nwoko and RJ Melendez added 10 each. Nwoko recorded his second straight double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes. Matthews, after checking in for the first time with four minutes and 10 seconds left in the first half, ended up playing 22 minutes and finished with six points, seven rebounds and six assists.

MSU overcame a trio of strong offensive performances from Prairie View — Nick Anderson had 21 points, Tanahj Pettaway added 20 and was 4-for-5 from distance, and Marcel Bryant chipped in with 19. Panthers starting post player Ryan Bolton Jr., though, fouled out with nearly 16 minutes remaining in the second half.

Last season on an early December Sunday afternoon, the Bulldogs blew a late 11-point lead and lost to SWAC member Southern, but this year’s group managed to avoid a bad loss at the same juncture of the season.

“(We were) just trying to do anything we can to help each other win and not giving up,” Jones said. “Last year, we gave up and we thought it was going to be a cakewalk. We came in this year and did the same thing. We just had a different mindset toward the end of the game, and that was just staying together, sticking together, and playing our basketball.”

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Mississippi

What channel is Mississippi State baseball vs Ole Miss on today? Time, TV schedule to watch college baseball game

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10 hours ago

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March 27, 2026

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What channel is Mississippi State baseball vs Ole Miss on today? Time, TV schedule to watch college baseball game


Mississippi State baseball, coming off a sweep of Vanderbilt, travels to Ole Miss for a three-game series, starting on March 27.

The Bulldogs (21-4, 4-2 SEC) swept Vandy last weekend in Starkville to move above .500 in league play after two weeks.

Ole Miss (19-7, 3-3) took two of three games from Kentucky last weekend in Oxford.

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Mississippi State and Ole Miss will also play on April 28 in Pearl.

Here’s how you can watch Mississippi State baseball vs Ole Miss:

RIVALRY PICKS: Ole Miss baseball vs Mississippi State predictions in rivalry series

Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss on March 27 will be televised via streaming on SEC Network+, which is housed on the ESPN app and can be accessed via a SEC Network subscription. If you are subscribed to SEC Network, you can access SEC Network+ online.

  • Game 1 start time: 6:30 p.m on March 27, SEC Network+
  • Game 2 start time: 1:30 p.m. on March 28, SEC Network+
  • Game 3 start time: 3 p.m on March 29, SEC Network
  • Feb. 13: Hofstra, W 6-5
  • Feb. 14: Hofstra, W 6-1
  • Feb. 14: Hofstra, W 7-5
  • Feb. 17: Troy, W 13-7
  • Feb. 18: Alcorn State, W 19-0 (7 innings)
  • Feb. 20: Delaware, W 9-2
  • Feb. 21: Delaware, W 10-0 (8 innings)
  • Feb. 22: Delaware, W 7-3
  • Feb. 24: Austin Peay, W 16-3 (7 innings)
  • Feb. 27: vs. Arizona State in Arlington, Texas, W 8-4
  • Feb. 28: vs. Virginia Tech in Arlington, Texas, W 15-8
  • March 1: vs. UCLA in Arlington, Texas, L 8-7 (10 innings)
  • March 3: at Southern Miss, L 7-6
  • March 5: Lipscomb, W 8-3
  • March 6: Lipscomb, W 9-4
  • March 7: Lipscomb, W 26-0 (7 innings)
  • March 10: vs. Tulane in Biloxi, W 11-7
  • March 13: at Arkansas, L 5-4
  • March 14: at Arkansas, W 7-2
  • March 15: at Arkansas, L 7-3
  • March 17: Jackson State, W 17-1 (7 innings)
  • March 20: Vanderbilt, W 4-2
  • March 21: Vanderbilt, W 7-2
  • March 22: Vanderbilt, W 17-7 (7)
  • March 24: Southern Miss, W 12-0 (7)
  • March 27: at Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m on SEC Network+
  • March 28: at Ole Miss, 1:30 p.m on SEC Network+
  • March 29: at Ole Miss, 3 p.m on SEC Network
  • March 31: Grambling
  • April 2-4: Georgia
  • April 7: UAB
  • April 10-12: Tennessee
  • April 14: at Samford
  • April 17-19: at South Carolina
  • April 21: Memphis
  • April 24-26: LSU
  • April 28: vs. Ole Miss in Pearl, Miss.
  • May 1-3: at Texas
  • May 5: Nicholls
  • May 7-9: Auburn
  • May 14-16: at Texas A&M



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Diamond Dawgs Set For Top 20 Showdown In Oxford – Mississippi State

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22 hours ago

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March 26, 2026

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Diamond Dawgs Set For Top 20 Showdown In Oxford – Mississippi State


OXFORD – No. 6 Mississippi State carries momentum and confidence into one of college baseball’s fiercest rivalries this weekend, traveling to face No. 18 Ole Miss in a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Swayze Field.

The Diamond Dawgs arrive in Oxford riding a five-game winning streak and carrying plenty of momentum into one of the league’s premier matchups. MSU sits at 21-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play, while the Rebels enter at 19-6 and 3-3 in the SEC.

Mississippi State has been one of the most complete teams in the country through the first half of the season. The Bulldogs are hitting .347 as a team with a .452 on-base percentage and 39 home runs, consistently putting pressure on opposing pitching staffs. Ole Miss counters with plenty of power of its own, already launching 46 homers while posting a .500 slugging percentage.

The engine for State’s offense has been graduate outfielder Bryce Chance, who leads the SEC with a .452 batting average and has struck out just three times all season. All-American infielder Ace Reese continues to anchor the middle of the lineup with a team-high seven home runs and 34 RBIs, while Noah Sullivan and Aidan Teel provide consistent production around them to give the Diamond Dawgs one of the deepest lineups in the league.

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Mississippi State will lean on its weekend rotation that has begun to separate itself as a strength. Left-hander Charlie Foster is expected to get the ball in Friday’s opener. The Bulldogs will then turn to sophomore standout Tomas Valincius on Saturday. The southpaw has been dominant, going 5-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 47 strikeouts, highlighted by a 14-strikeout performance in his last outing. Right-hander Duke Stone is slated for Sunday and brings a 4-0 record with him into the series.

Ole Miss is expected to counter with left-hander Hunter Elliott in the opener, a veteran arm with a 3-0 record and 44 strikeouts, followed by right-hander Hudson Calhoun on Saturday. The Rebels have yet to announce a starter for the series finale. As a staff, Ole Miss owns a 3.56 ERA with 293 strikeouts, setting up a matchup between two pitching groups capable of missing bats at a high level.

While the Bulldogs have dominated at home — winning 19 straight games at Dudy Noble Field dating back to last season — this weekend presents another opportunity for State to prove itself away from Starkville. MSU is 1-3 in true road games this year but has shown the ability to compete against elite competition throughout the early part of the schedule.

The rivalry history leans in Mississippi State’s favor, with the Bulldogs holding a 268-213-5 advantage in the all-time series. State has also won two straight meetings between the programs, adding another layer of confidence heading into the weekend.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching ‘HailStateBB’ on X, Facebook and Instagram.Top of Form
 





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MS turkey hunter who thought hunt was ruined bags bird of a lifetime

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1 day ago

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March 26, 2026

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MS turkey hunter who thought hunt was ruined bags bird of a lifetime


‘I would call him a hybrid between a smoke phase and a red phase. He’s not a true smoke phase because of all the red in him.’

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  • A Mississippi hunter bagged a rare, reddish-colored turkey after a frustrating start to his hunting season.
  • The turkey’s unique coloration is described as a hybrid between a smoke phase and a red phase.
  • According to a wildlife official, this genetic mutation is exceedingly rare, especially in male turkeys.

A Mississippi turkey hunter’s season wasn’t off to a good start, but with a change in plans, a little scouting, some luck thrown in, he bagged a rare reddish-colored turkey and it’s considered a bird of a lifetime.

“I’d been hunting the same bird since opening day,” said Barrett Clark of Strong, which is located near West Point. “He finally frustrated me enough to where I just needed to go look for another bird.”

Clark wasn’t able to connect with the gobbler he was after. So, on Friday, March 20, he decided to check another property. He located a few gobblers that afternoon, but one looked different. It appeared to have a lighter color than normal, but Clark figured it was just the way the sunlight was hitting the bird.

The following morning, Clark and his father, Larry Clark, returned to the area in hopes of getting a shot at one of the birds.

A turkey hunt that was almost ruined

“We met and went in early Saturday morning,” Clark said. “We were probably 300 yards away from him when he started gobbling. It was right at sunrise. He was gobbling off the roost.”

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The gobbler flew off the roost and continued to gobble. Clark said he lightly called the bird. Then, a gunshot rang out from a nearby property and the gobbling stopped. To make matters worse, minutes later a coyote appeared and it looked like he was after the turkey that had been gobbling.

“That coyote came within 15 feet of my dad and ran straight to where the turkey had been gobbling,” Clark said. “We thought our hunt was boogered up.”

More: Why the 2026 turkey hunting season in Mississippi may be longest ever

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MS hunter shoots turkey with strange colors

The hunt wasn’t over, though. About 10 or 15 minutes later the gobbling resumed and Clark lightly called back. A little later, Clark saw a turkey through the trees in the neighborhood of 100 yards away.

“I was really just seeing his head move,” Clark said. “I would see his fan occasionally, but it was mostly just his head. I could tell he was lighter, but I really wasn’t focused on that. I was trying to stay still and make a good shot.”

Clark said he was hunting in pines that were maybe 10 years old, and the understory was thick. The bird came within 50 yards of him, but there was no shot. The bird began to walk away but stepped into an opening, and Clark pulled the trigger of his 20-gauge shotgun.

Clark still didn’t understand what he’d shot. He said it was only when he and his father got closer that they realized how unusual it was.

“We could tell it was something that neither of us had ever seen,” Clark said.

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More: Excellent turkey hunting season expected in Mississippi. Here’s the outlook

What is it, and how rare is this turkey?

The bird is a light rust or cinnamon color and lacks any normal coloration, but putting a label on it isn’t easy.

“I would call him a hybrid between a smoke phase and a red phase,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “He’s not a true smoke phase because of all the red in him.”

Hinton couldn’t put a number on it, but he said a genetic trait like this is very rare.

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“Like all the genetic mutations, it’s exceedingly rare in the wild,” Hinton said.

And for a gobbler to express such a genetic trait is even more rare. Hinton said that upwards of 95% of the turkeys that express such traits will be hens, not gobblers.

“It’s just a once-in-a-lifetime trophy for the hunter,” Hinton said.

A lifelong outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Brian Broom has been writing about hunting, fishing and Mississippi’s outdoors for the Clarion Ledger for more than 14 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.



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