The Mississippi State basketball team left no stone unturned in a 33-point annihilation of No. 18 Pittsburgh in what may have been the most dominant performance of the SEC/ACC Challenge.
KeyShawn Murphy led a balanced Bulldog offensive attack in Humphrey Coliseum with 20 points. Four of the junior forward’s teammates also eclipsed double-digits on the scoreboard as Mississippi State made an impressive 57.8% of its shots against an overwhelmed Panthers squad.
Mississippi State (7-1) opened the game on a 10-2 run. Pittsburgh (7-2) countered, cutting the deficit to two points before Chris Jans’ club began to impose its will. By halftime, the Bulldogs boasted a commanding 47-25 advantage.
Pittsburgh began to heat up from behind the arc early in the second half as the Panthers tried to claw their way out of a deeply dug hole. Those efforts proved futile, as Mississippi State countered each of its opponents’ scores with buckets of its own.
With just under six minutes left in action, the Bulldogs were up 79-44 and had no plans to let off the brakes. Both teams went back and forth to close out the game. Mississippi State walked away a 90-57 victor.
All night, Mississippi State took advantage of its counterpart down low, scoring 52 points in the paint. This feat greatly benefitted a Bulldog team that struggled to land the three-ball. On the other side, Jans’ lockdown defense yielded an underwhelming 31% shooting outing from Pittsburgh.
The Bulldogs also dominated the glass on both ends of the floor. Mississippi State hauled in 49 total rebounds with 16 of the boards coming on the offensive end. Michael Nwoko earned a double-double consisting of 18 points and 11 rebounds. Cam Matthews Grabbed 13 boards in the contest. Pittsburgh had just 27 rebounds as a team.
Standout guard Josh Hubbard had a quiet 12 points on the night. For Pittsburgh, Jaland Lowe’s 19-point outing was the team’s bright spot in an otherwise bleak performance.
Next up for Mississippi State is a home battle against Prairie View A&M on Sunday at 3 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.