Mississippi State wasted no time making a statement in the first round of the SEC Tournament, rolling past LSU 91-62 on Wednesday night behind a stellar performance from Josh Hubbard. The freshman guard lit up the scoreboard with six 3-pointers and 26 points to lead the 10th-seeded Bulldogs to a commanding victory over the 15th-seeded Tigers at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
With the win, Mississippi State (21-11) advances to the second round, where it will face seventh-seeded Missouri (21-10) on Thursday night. Meanwhile, LSU (14-18) saw its season come to an end, extending its losing streak to six games.
Mississippi State wasted little time grabbing control of the game, building a 20-point lead by halftime. Hubbard was at the center of it all, scoring 16 first-half points to help the Bulldogs take a commanding 44-24 advantage into the break.
LSU showed some fight early in the second half, trimming the deficit to 51-40 with 15 minutes remaining. However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished when Mississippi State responded with a dominant 20-2 run, stretching the lead to 71-42 with 11 minutes left. From there, the Bulldogs cruised to the finish line.
Mississippi State’s offensive efficiency played a major role in the blowout win. The Bulldogs shot an impressive 52% from the field (35-of-67) and knocked down 15-of-34 (44%) from beyond the arc. Hubbard led the way, shooting 9-of-19 overall, while nine other Bulldogs scored at least five points in a balanced offensive effort.
On the other side, LSU struggled to find consistency. The Tigers shot just 39% from the field (22-of-56) and were plagued by 15 turnovers. Jordan Sears led LSU with 20 points, including three 3-pointers, while Robert Miller III added 14 and Cam Carter chipped in 13.
The Bulldogs now turn their attention to Missouri in the second round, with their sights set on securing a third straight NCAA Tournament bid—something the program hasn’t accomplished since 2005. A win against Missouri would strengthen their case for an at-large bid, adding to an already strong resume.
With Hubbard in peak form and Mississippi State firing on all cylinders, the Bulldogs look poised to make a deep SEC Tournament run. If they can maintain their offensive efficiency and defensive intensity, they could be a dangerous team heading into March Madness.
Top Performances:
Mississippi State
Josh Hubbard – 26 PTS, 3 AST
LSU
Jordan Sears – 20 PTS, 4 REB, 5 STL
Robert Miller II – 14 PTS, 4 REB
Cam Carter – 13 PTS, 6 REB
