Mississippi State stuns No. 8 Auburn, earning second statement win this month

Tied 21-21 at halftime, Mississippi pulled ahead midway through the second half, keeping Auburn at arm's length to hold on for a six-point victory. 

The Bulldogs dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Tigers 45-30 while out-pacing them in points in the paint, 34-20. 

Mississippi State received a strong effort from freshman Josh Hubbard, who made his first collegiate start Saturday against Auburn. Hubbard finished with a team-high 17 points, shooting 7-of-16 with a trio of three-pointers. He leads all SEC freshmen in scoring, averaging 14.9 points on the year. 

The Bulldogs improve to 14-6 on the season and 3-4 in the SEC. The victory is the team's second win over a top-10 opponent this month alone after knocking off No. 5 Tennessee, 77-72, on Jan. 10. 

Meanwhile, Auburn is nearing panic mode after dropping back-to-back games for the first time this season. 

The Tigers' offense looked out of rhythm most of the contest, held to only 33.9 percent shooting from the field by Mississippi State. Junior forward Johni Broome led the way for the Tigers, recording 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. 

Senior forward Jaylin Williams was the only other Auburn player to finish in double figures, scoring 10 in the loss. 

After the game, head coach Bruce Pearl struggled to find answers. 

"Our point guards have to do a better job of playmaking — our playmakers have to do a better job, and our shooters have to make a few more shots," Pearl said via Justin Ferguson of The Auburn Observer. "That'll help." 

Saturday's loss drops Auburn to 16-4 overall and 5-2 in the SEC. It comes after a 79-75 loss to unranked Alabama on Jan. 24. 

Before the team's two-game skid, they had won 11 games in a row, all by double digits, including an overwhelming 23-point win over No. 22 Ole Miss only a week ago.