Mississippi State gets much-needed win against No. 25 Texas A&M

Mississippi State defeated A&M 69-62 in a charged Humphrey Area, with followers understanding the Bulldogs want each victory potential down the stretch to make the NCAA postseason for the primary time since 2019.

“We felt prefer it was a must-win if we need to proceed to have an opportunity to play in March Insanity,” MSU first-year coach Chris Jans advised the SEC Community afterward. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight.”

A&M (21-8, 13-3 SEC), which had its six-game win streak snapped, was attempting to win 14 video games in SEC play for the primary time since becoming a member of the league in the summertime of 2012, and the Aggies nonetheless have two regular-season video games remaining to attempt to achieve this.

The Bulldogs (19-10, 7-9) led by 9 within the first half and the Aggies, because of an 8-0 run after the break, led by 9 factors six minutes into the second half. A&M then went ice chilly within the final 14 minutes and following guard Andre Gordon’s 3-pointer with 14:09 remaining.

The Aggies didn’t rating once more for practically 13 sport minutes from the sphere, though they one way or the other stayed within the sport with 14 free throws in that very same span.

Regardless of the Aggies’ prolonged chilly spell, MSU solely led 57-53 with 3:25 remaining when Bulldogs ahead Tolu Smith grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled on his putback basket. That shoved MSU to an insurmountable 60-53 lead, and the celebration was on in Starkville.

Guard Wade Taylor IV led the Aggies with 21 factors however had an important turnover with 28 seconds remaining and A&M trailing by 4 factors. The Bulldogs practically doubled up the Aggies in factors within the paint (34-18), as properly. As well as, A&M had three gamers foul out: Guard Tyrece Radford and forwards Solomon Washington and Andersson Garcia.

“There weren’t sufficient high quality possessions,” A&M coach Buzz Williams mentioned on his postgame radio present of the Aggies taking pictures 17 of 43 (40 p.c) from the sphere. “If you happen to’re solely going to shoot 43 balls since you flip it over 16 instances, and also you solely get eight offensive rebounds, you’re going to play from behind.”

The Aggies keep on the highway because the SEC schedule winds down with a Tuesday night time sport at Mississippi. A&M then closes out the common season with a Saturday morning contest towards No. 2 Alabama in Reed Area.

“We have to get dwelling and get again to work early (Sunday) morning,” Williams mentioned of the short turnaround from Saturday to Tuesday on the most vital time of the common season.

The Aggies have already got earned one of many prized double byes of the SEC event in Nashville, Tenn., from March 8-12. The highest 4 of the league’s 14 groups don’t play till the event’s third day, on this case March 10 in Bridgestone Area.

ESPN on Saturday projected the Aggies as a sixth seed within the NCAA Match, which they haven’t made in 5 years (and underneath then-coach Billy Kennedy). A&M, regardless of Saturday’s hiccup, in fact is kind of intrigued that the Ultimate 4 is simply 101 miles from Reed Area at NRG Stadium in early April.

For his or her half, the Bulldogs have received seven of their final 9 video games underneath Jans, employed from New Mexico State final 12 months to switch the fired Ben Howland. In current seasons A&M, too, might need drawn a collective yawn as a customer, however the Bulldogs and their followers handled a win over the league’s second-place group as a big-time accomplishment on Saturday.

“I’m grateful for ‘The Hump’ and the individuals who confirmed up and willed us again into the sport,” Jans mentioned of MSU’s rocking enviornment and with one dwelling sport to go for the Bulldogs on Tuesday night time towards South Carolina.

Brent Zwerneman reported from School Station.