Josh Hubbard put up 15 points to lead a balanced scoring effort and Mississippi State never trailed while ending a five-game losing streak with an 80-66 victory over LSU on Wednesday in Baton Rouge, La.
Quincy Ballard scored 13 points, Ja’Borri McGhee added 11 points and Sergej Macura had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs (11-10, 3-5 Southeastern Conference). Mississippi State was coming off a season-worst 88-56 home loss to then-No. 15 Vanderbilt on Saturday and had been outscored by an average of 18.4 points during the losing streak.
Max Mackinnon recorded 15 points, Dedan Thomas Jr. and Rashad King scored 14 each and Pablo Tamba added 10 to lead the Tigers (13-8, 1-7), who took their third loss in a row.
Ballard’s layup produced the game’s first points and gave the Bulldogs a lead they would never relinquish. McGhee and Achor Achor followed with consecutive 3-pointers to help produce a 9-2 lead.
LSU made a free throw, but King Grace sank two 3-pointers and Ballard and Shawn Jones Jr. scored four points each as Mississippi State expanded its lead to 27-9. Epps and Jones each hit a 3-pointer and Hubbard converted a three-point to push the lead to 37-14.
Thomas made a 3-pointer, but Mississippi State scored the next seven points to increase its lead to 27 points. Thomas connected on a jumper and had an assist on Robert Williams III’s layup, slicing the Tigers’ deficit to 44-21 entering halftime.
In the first half, the Bulldogs shot 51.5% from the floor and the Tigers shot 32.1%. Mississippi State hit 7 of 14 3-point attempts in the opening 20 minutes, and the Tigers were 1 of 10.
Thomas and Mackinnon each made a 3-pointer as LSU started the second half with an 11-6 spurt to creep within 50-32. Hubbard answered by making two free throws and a layup.
Mackinnon and Thomas scored four points each and the Tigers made another push to get within 16 points. Jordan Epps hit two 3-pointers during a 10-2 run that put Mississippi State in command with a 68-44 lead with 11:23 to go.
The final score was the closest the Tigers got in the second half.
–Field Level Media
