Mississippi State basketball avoids potential upset, wins thriller against Murray State

STARKVILLE — Reminders of an ugly loss against Southern on Dec. 3 started to appear Wednesday as Mississippi State basketball saw a big lead against Murray State dwindle.

Behind a 30-12 run spanning nearly 14 minutes in the second half, the Racers were able to turn a 19-point deficit into a one-point lead, resurfacing the nerves that had haunted spectators in MSU’s previous appearance at Humphrey Coliseum.

A hot start — with Mississippi State making 15 of its first 16 field goals and posting the best first-half shooting percentage (78%) by a Chris Jans-coached team — appeared to be going by the wayside.

That was until guard Dashawn Davis found Cameron Matthews for an emphatic alley-oop coming out of a timeout with 28 seconds to play. Behind a pair of crucial defensive stops and clutch free throws, Mississippi State (8-2) escaped with an 85-81 win against Murray State (3-6).

“We won the game. That’s what the bottom line is,” Jans said postgame. “It’s the way it is. In two days, or even in a week for sure, no one is going to talking about the Murray State game and what the score was. It’s just going to be a W or an L.”

Shakeel Moore stays hot in starting role

Jans has tinkered with his second starting guard spot throughout the young season. Trey Fort held the spot early before Shawn Jones Jr. got a shot. On Saturday against Tulane, he inserted Shakeel Moore into the spot alongside Davis, and it has proven to be a smart move.

After scoring a season-best 11 points against Tulane, Moore scored 16 against Murray State. Moore was a big part of MSU’s hot start, accounting for 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field.

His highest scoring total last season came in a 22-point outing at South Carolina.

Josh Hubbard continues to be bench spark

On Tuesday, college basketball insider John Fanta ranked Josh Hubbard as one of the top 10 freshmen this season, suggesting the MSU guard’s success is no secret in the sport. After a 15-point showing against Murray State, he has scored in double figures in nine straight games and nine of 10 this season.

Hubbard connected on three 3-pointers, moving his percentage from beyond the arc to 42%. With Moore’s success in the starting rotation, Jans has the luxury of keeping Hubbard as a spark off the bench.

Hubbard hit his final 3-pointer to regain the lead with 2:46 to play. It came on a similar set to what MSU ran on Matthews’ final alley-oop. Last season, Mississippi State had the nation’s worst shooting percentage from beyond the arc. With Hubbard’s consistency from deep, it has opened things up inside.

“It changes how we look,” Jans said. “It gives us a big weapon on the perimeter that, just to be honest, we didn’t have last year. It opens up the floor for other people to drive the ball in there. It opens up the floor for the guys around the basket.”

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What’s next on Mississippi State’s schedule?

MSU heads to Tupelo for a matchup against North Texas on Sunday (3 p.m., SEC Network+). The Mean Green (5-4) is off to a slow after winning the NIT title last season, though it remains a top-100 KenPom team.

North Texas has lost its past two games, against Boise State and Fordham, and played just one Power Five opponent this season (LSU), losing 66-62 on a neutral court.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.