Crimson Tide Triumphs in Starkville: Alabama Overcomes Mississippi State in Thrilling Showdown
The 4th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team maintained their momentum on the road by securing a hard-fought 88-84 victory over the 14th ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville on Wednesday night. This nail-biting encounter saw Alabama improving their record to 18-3 overall and 7-1 in the SEC, while Mississippi State fell to 16-5 overall and 4-4 in conference play.
Mark Sears made a triumphant return to the starting lineup on Wednesday after sitting out the second half of the previous game against LSU. Joining him were Chris Youngblood, Grant Nelson, Jarin Stevenson, and Clifford Omoruyi.
Mississippi State started strong, scoring off the opening tip, but Chris Youngblood quickly responded with a three-pointer on Alabama’s first possession. The Bulldogs went on to score six consecutive points, taking an early 8-3 lead with 18:22 on the clock. Labaron Philon came off the bench to sink a three-pointer, narrowing the margin to 11-10 with 15 minutes remaining in the first half. When Youngblood hit his second three-pointer, the Tide regained the lead at 23-21 with 10:20 left.
Sears showcased his playmaking abilities, dishing out assists while Youngblood continued his hot streak from beyond the arc. Sears eventually scored his first points with a deep three-pointer, extending Alabama’s lead to 37-30. Despite missing a one-and-one free throw opportunity and some other shots, Alabama held a slim lead. Mississippi State managed to tie the game at 37 with 1:53 left in the first half. A clutch three-pointer from Youngblood and a traditional three-point play by Nelson gave Alabama a 44-39 lead at halftime.
In the first half, Alabama shot 46% from the field (17-37), including 37% from deep (7-19), but struggled at the free-throw line, making only 3 of 7 attempts. They collected 23 rebounds, including 10 offensive boards, and recorded 10 assists, three blocks, and two steals while committing just five turnovers. Youngblood led the way with 12 points on 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Nelson contributed nine points, four rebounds, and two blocks. Sears added five points, five assists, and three rebounds. Aiden Sherrell scored four points and grabbed two rebounds in his limited three minutes of play.
Mississippi State shot 48% from the field (16-33), 33% from deep (4-12), and 50% from the free-throw line (3-6). Josh Hubbard led all scorers with 13 points at the half, setting the stage for a dynamic second half.
Coach Oats stuck with the same starting lineup for the second half. Nelson scored quickly, but Mississippi State, led by Hubbard, remained resilient. During a critical four-minute stretch, Aden Holloway, Sears, and Holloway again hit three-pointers. Sears also added a tear-drop shot as the shot clock expired, pushing Alabama’s lead to 59-50 with 14:10 left in the game.
Mississippi State responded with a scorching run, making 10 of their next 11 shots, primarily through Hubbard, and took a 65-64 lead with 10:14 remaining. Sears and Hubbard traded three-pointers, while Youngblood hit a clutch corner three to tie the game at 70 with 8:10 left.
The game continued to swing back and forth, with both teams exchanging baskets. A Hubbard layup and free throw tied the game at 80-80 with 3:57 on the clock. Nelson’s corner three gave Alabama a three-point lead, but the Bulldogs answered. Sears hit a floater in the lane as the shot clock expired, giving Alabama an 85-82 lead with one minute left. Hubbard scored again to make it 85-84 with 48 seconds remaining.
In the final moments, free-throw struggles haunted Alabama. Nelson missed two free throws with 24.5 seconds left, but Mo Dioubate secured a critical offensive rebound and was fouled. However, he missed the front end of the one-and-one, keeping Mississippi State’s hopes alive. Alabama rebounded a Bulldog miss on a wide-open layup, and Youngblood was promptly sent to the line. The senior hit both free throws, extending the lead to 87-84 with 5.3 seconds remaining. After another MSU miss, Nelson was fouled and made one of two free throws, sealing the 88-84 victory for the Tide.
In the second half, Alabama shot 50% from the field (14-26), including an impressive 67% from three-point range (8-12). Overall, the Tide shot 49% from the field (31-63), 48% from beyond the arc (14-31), but struggled at the free-throw line, making only 55% of their attempts (11-20). Alabama grabbed 41 rebounds, including 17 offensive boards, dished out 18 assists, and recorded four steals and five blocks while committing 14 turnovers. Youngblood led all scorers with 23 points, hitting 7 of 10 from three-point range, earning the player of the game honors. Sears added 17 points, nine assists, and six rebounds despite committing seven turnovers. Nelson contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. Holloway scored 12 points, making 3 of 7 from deep. Dioubate played 18 minutes, leading the team with nine rebounds (seven offensive), two assists, a block, and a steal, and earned the hard hat award. Omoruyi scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Mississippi State shot 52% from the field (17-33) in the second half, including 31% from deep (4-13), and 70% from the free-throw line (7-10). Overall, the Bulldogs shot 50% from the field (33-66), 32% from three-point range (8-25), and 63% from the free-throw line (10-16). Hubbard had a career night, scoring 38 points in 36 minutes, hitting 14 of 28 from the field, 6 of 15 from three-point range, and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. Birmingham native Keshawn Murphy added 18 points and six rebounds. No other Bulldog player scored in double figures.
Securing any road win in the SEC is significant, and defeating the 14th ranked team in the country is even more impressive. This win marked Alabama’s seventh consecutive victory over Mississippi State and third straight in Starkville. The Crimson Tide now boasts SEC road wins over #12 Texas A&M, #8 Kentucky, and #14 Mississippi State.
While Alabama’s defense had some lapses, allowing too many easy baskets in the paint, particularly on pick-and-roll plays, there were positive takeaways. Youngblood appears to have fully recovered from his offseason ankle surgery. Sears responded well to Coach Oats’ wake-up call. Dioubate continued to demonstrate his tenacity on the court. Nelson consistently delivers near double-double performances, and Omoruyi is improving while committing fewer fouls. Holloway remains a reliable scoring option with a sharpshooter’s eye, and Philon, despite hitting a bit of a freshman wall, is still a dangerous player. The Tide also welcomed back Derrion Reid, whose size, speed, and athleticism will be invaluable down the stretch.
Next up for the Crimson Tide is a home game against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT, airing on ESPN2.
Roll Tide!
