Josh Hubbard's historic first half powers Miss State to needed win

Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Josh Hubbard's record-breaking first half powers Mississippi State to needed win against Auburn

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Feb 19, 2026 12:11 AM ET

The Mississippi State Bulldogs' woes have spoiled many big games for junior guard Josh Hubbard this season, but that wasn't the case on Wednesday night.

Despite nearly blowing a 16-point first-half lead against the Auburn Tigers (14-12, 5-8 SEC), the Bulldogs (13-13, 5-8 SEC) fended off their SEC rival in a 91-85 home win.

It's good for Hubbard that the Bulldogs didn't squander his stellar performance on Wednesday. It may have been the best of his collegiate career.

Josh Hubbard shredded Auburn in a record-breaking performance

In the first half, Hubbard scored 35 points and shot 9-of-12 from three-point range against Auburn. That broke the school record for the most three-pointers made in a game. There was more from the guard.

Hubbard scored a season-high 46 points on 15-of-27 shooting from the field and finished 10-of-16 from three-point range. He also logged nine rebounds, three assists and two steals. Just as importantly, he nailed a go-ahead three-pointer to give the Bulldogs an 85-83 lead in the final minute.

JOSH HUBBARD HIT NINE 3'S IN THE FIRST HALF

35 PTS IN THE FIRST HALF @HailStateMBK pic.twitter.com/Q7eP9uKJWW
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 19, 2026

Hubbard has been on a tear. The win over Auburn marks his third straight game with 30 points or more. He's not someone who's just suddenly catching fire. Entering Wednesday night, he ranked 11th in the country in scoring (21.3 points per game on 42.3% from the field).

Despite that, Hubbard's not going to win any major awards this season. Those go to players on teams poised to make the NCAA Tournament. The only way Mississippi State can crash March Madness at this point is if it wins the SEC Tournament, scheduled for March 11-15 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Good luck with that.

The SEC, of course, is one of the top conferences in college basketball. In his updated bracket, ESPN's Joe Lunardi lists 10 teams from the league, tied with the Big Ten for the most.

Alas, college basketball fans probably won't see much of the high-scoring guard in March. At least they should now realize what fans in Starkville, Mississippi, have known all season: Hubbard's a walking bucket.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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