Mississippi State Men's Basketball Drops SEC Opener to Alabama, 78-67

No. 21 Mississippi State men's basketball opened its conference slate against No. 8 Alabama, losing 78-67 on Wednesday night in a sold-out Humphrey Coliseum.

In the Top 25 SEC matchup, the Bulldogs were able to keep the game close due to clutch performances from KeShawn Murphy and DJ Jeffries in the first half, including Jeffries hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer at halftime to make it 34-30.

The Bulldogs' defense also continued to do its job, forcing 19 turnovers on the Crimson Tide's offense.

However, the Crimson Tide managed to pull away in the second half, eventually building up a 13-point lead. Alabama's standout freshman Brandon Miller finished with a double-double, scoring 19 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Alabama guard Mark Sears also scored 20 points in Wednesday's contest.

Part of Alabama's success was also based on Mississippi State's poor shooting on the court. The Bulldogs shot a combined 20-of-55 (36.4%) from the field and a dreadful 18-of-36 (50.0%) from the free throw line.

Bulldogs forward Tolu Smith was held to a season-low five points while shooting 1-of-7 from the field and 3-of-15 from the free-throw line.

"We were the aggressors in the first half," Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans said. "We were trying to get paint touches, and it was a very physical game at the rim on both ends. Alabama has great length, and we struggled to finish around the basket. It became frustrating, but it happens. We are supposed to be a defensive team, and we must rely on that when we struggle on the offensive end.”

Despite the shooting woes, Jeffries secured his first double-double of the season, totaling 11 points, 15 rebounds and one assist.

Other Bulldogs to score in double digits were forwards Murphy and Will McNair Jr, scoring 11 points and 10 points respectively.

With SEC play just beginning, the Bulldogs could be in some trouble, as their shooting performance needs a lot of patching up.

Next up, the Bulldogs travel to play Tennessee in Knoxville. Tipoff is set for Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 6 p.m. The game will be available to watch on ESPN 2.