Coach Penny unable to find the right combination to combat Bulldogs aggression. photo by Don Mooney
by Don Mooney
Memphis, TN—On the verge of taking that next step with a win at home, Memphis Tigers trip over themselves and fall to cross-state rival Mississippi State 79-66 at FedEx Forum in front of a national television audience on CBS. Coming into the game Tigers were ranked 21st in recent polls. A victory over always tough SEC foes would garner an early glance from the NCAA committee’s bracket eyes going into conference play. Possibly nudging the Tigers a few slots in the polls.
KeShawn Murphy, 6-10 forward scoring two of his 19 pts against Tigers defense. photo by Don Mooney
In a game that had a bit of a March Madness feel headed in, Mississippi State proved to be more than up for the challenge. An early-first-half 13-0 run for the Bulldogs made a 5-all game 18-5 in just over seven minutes into the contest, and State led by double-digits the rest of the way. The Dawgs held a 48-32 edge at halftime and never let up over the final 20 minutes, stretching their lead up to as many as 24 points on the way to the triumph.
Tigers defense wasn’t enough last evening to deter Bulldogs dominance. by Don Mooney
It’s the second time this season MSU has knocked off a Top-25 foe. Both times the Bulldogs handled business in dominating fashion. State previously downed then-No. 18 Pitt 90-57 in the SEC/ACC Challenge back on Dec. 4.
The loss halted the Tigers’ two-game win streak and dropped them to 9-3 overall. Redshirt sophomore guard PJ Haggerty scored a game-high 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting while going 8-for-11 at the line. Senior guard Tyrese Hunter contributed 19 points while also adding three rebounds and three assists.
State aggressively attacked the basket and caused numerous Tiger turnovers on defense. photo by Don Mooney
Memphis started the game with a three ball from Hunter, but from that point on, it was all Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (11-1) responded with a trio of 3-pointers and jumped out to a 21-6 lead eight minutes into the game and never let up. The Tigers struggled shooting the ball, knocking down just four of their first 19 attempts. They also turned the ball over 12 times and went into the half with a 16-point deficit, 48-32. The second half saw much of the same as Mississippi State built a 79-55 lead with two minutes to play before the Tigers reeled off 11-straight points to end the game.
Elvis in the building was not enough to help Tigers loss to Mississippi State. photo by Don Mooney
Defense and long-range shooting set the stage for Mississippi State’s success Saturday. Both were on full display for the Bulldogs in the first half and the Tigers simply couldn’t overcome State’s start. MSU made 50 percent of its 3-pointers prior to halftime, sinking nine of its first 18 shots from deep. Meanwhile the Dawgs didn’t allow Memphis to get anything going. State forced 12 Tiger turnovers in the first 20 minutes, scored 17 points off those turnovers and limited Memphis to just 30.8 percent shooting in the first half. MSU’s defense kept the pressure on in the closing period and didn’t allow Memphis to even threaten a comeback. Individually, four Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Riley Kugel’s 19 points. KeShawn Murphy and Josh Hubbard each totaled 13 while Cameron Matthews added 12. Murphy and Matthews tied for the team lead with nine rebounds apiece to help State win the battle of the boards 46-32.
Tigers return home against Ole Miss on Dec. 28th at FedX Forum.