Mississippi State downs Washington State 76-64 behind balanced scoring attack

Mississippi State used free-throw shooting and a big advantage on the backboards to hold off Washington State, 76-64, on Saturday in the opening game of the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Uncasville, Conn.

The Bulldogs will now face either Northwestern/Rhode Island at noon on Sunday in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic championship game.

“We knew this would be our most physical game so far,” said Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans. “I thought our guys handled it well for the most part and we did well on the glass. I thought this was our best game so far.”

Cameron Matthews and Josh Hubbard led a balance scoring attack with 13 points each for the Bulldogs, who moved to 4-0 on the young season. Matthews also had seven rebounds and three steals. Dashawn Davis added 12 points and Jimmy Bell finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.

The Bulldogs played 10 players on Saturday with nobody playing more than 29 minutes. State also had six players that scored eight points or more as Shakeel Moore and Shawn Jones both finished with eight points.

“I get asked that a lot,” remarked Jans on his depth. “We probably play more guys than most programs on average. I think it keeps people motivated and helps the chemistry. It lets you handle injuries in the short term. I believe incompetition and I want that No. 1 guy looking over his shoulder. So there’s a lot of factors and we have a lot (of depth) this year.”

Myles Rice had a game-high 21 points for Washington State (2-1) while Joseph Yesufu and Isaac Jones had 15 and 10 points, respectively.

After a slow start, Bell began to dominate in the post. He was just 2 of 6 from the field but was fouled several times and made 7 of 8 at the line.

“He is physical,” Jans said of Bell. “He was just 2 of 6 (shooting) but 7 of 8 at the line. So he had to get fouled to get there. He really played well and played 29 minutes. I can’t imagine he has played many games of 29 minutes. So credit to him for getting himself in good condition.”

Leading by six at halftime, Mississippi State quickly pushed the lead to 47-37 following a Hubbard layup with 15:31 remaining in regulation. The Cougars kept it close thanks to Rice and Yesufu and a Yesufu 3 pointer cut State’s lead to 55-50 midway through the first half.

But State kept the Cougars at bay thanks to solid free throw shooting in the second half. The Bulldogs got a pair of 3 pointers from Hubbard in the closing minutes to clinch the victory.

For the game, State shot 44% and made 21 of 25 at the foul line. The Bulldogs were 5 of 19 behind the 3 point arc and out-rebounded the Cougars 39-30. Washington State shot 41% overall and made 7 of 23 from 3 point range. The Cougars made 9 of 12 at the charity stripe and had 12 turnovers.

The first half was a back and forth affair with 10 lead changes and seven ties. After Washington State took an early 9-5 lead, Matthews’ three point play gave State an 11-9 lead with 13:09 left in the opening half. Later in the half Moore scored five straight points to put State up 22-17 with nine minutes left in the half.

The Bulldogs ended the half on a 6-0 run and led 36-30 at halftime thanks to a Davis jumper that just beat the halftime buzzer.

“I thought the way we ended the half overall and getting the final basket was big,” added Jans. “We really finished the half well. We had a lot of momentum in the locker room and they had the right mindset.”

State shot 46% from the field in the first half and made 2 of 10 from 3 point territory. The Bulldogs were 8 of 11 at the foul line, had seven turnovers and held a 22-15 rebounding advantage in the first half.

The Cougars shot 34% from the floor and made 2 of 11 beyond the arc. Washington State was 6 of 8 at the charity stripe and had four turnovers in the opening half.

State now has the opportunity to capture a championship trophy this weekend. Jans and his staff will spend the rest of the day scouting the Northwestern-Rhode Island game in person.

“I will be honest with you, in years past I would have an idea on both of these teams,” Jans noted. “But with the short week I don’t. I like the fact we played early today to give our players more time and so we can see these teams in person. It will be a crash course for me coming up.”