Josh Hubbard scored 30 points and No. 24 Mississippi State pulled away in the second half to defeat LSU 81-69 on Saturday afternoon in Southeastern Conference play at Starkville, Miss.
Riley Kugel added 12 points and the Bulldogs (20-9, 8-8 SEC) outscored the Tigers (14-15, 3-13) 46-32 in the second half. Cam Carter scored 23 points and Daimion Collins added 10 to lead LSU.
The score was tied four times and the lead changed hands three times during the first six minutes of the second half before Hubbard made a 3-pointer and two free throws to give MSU a 55-50 lead.
Dji Bailey scored three straight points for LSU, but Kugel made a jumper and Hubbard added a 3-pointer to help the Bulldogs expand the lead to seven points midway through the half.
Derek Fountain made a jumper for the Tigers, but Mississippi State pushed the lead to 65-55 on a 3-pointer by Claudell Harris Jr. Carter made a 3-pointer before the Bulldogs scored six straight points and increased the lead to 13.
LSU crept within eight points with five minutes left. KeShawn Murphy answered with a jumper, but Jordan Sears’ 3-pointer trimmed the lead to 73-66. Cameron Matthews made a steal and fed Kugel for a dunk that pushed the lead back to nine with 2:41 left.
Carter made consecutive 3-pointers for LSU’s first points and the Tigers used a 7-0 run to open up a 10-4 lead. Matthews made one of two free throws to end the run, but Carter answered with a 3-pointer for an eight-point lead.
Five Bulldogs scored to help them pull even at 15. The score was tied three more times before Carter made a jumper and a dunk to help LSU take a 27-23 lead. Kugel’s 3-pointer and Hubbard’s jumper helped the Bulldogs get within two points.
Carter’s 3-pointer and Sears’ jumper helped the Tigers push the lead to six, but 3-pointers by Shawn Jones Jr. and Kugel trimmed LSU’s lead to 37-35 at halftime.
–Field Level Media
