State stuck in the Twilight Zone with Kentucky after another close loss

As sure as the sun rises and sets in the same location every single day, Mississippi State fans can set their watch on the result of a Mississippi State and Kentucky basketball matchup.

For the last 21 games in the series, State is sitting in its personal Groundhog Day against the Wildcats. During a stretch that has run starting in 2010, the Bulldogs are 1-20 against the boys in blue. Even more bizarre has been the fact that State has lost 13 of the games by single digits with three overtime losses.

A lot of the games have played out similarly. State has been in ball games late but can’t close them out and that was certainly the case again on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs were down by a point in the final 2 minutes and couldn’t get the score to get over the hump. State never scored again as UK took home another single-digit win, 95-90.

“Towards the end we were getting the looks we wanted, they just weren’t falling. Kentucky is a really good basketball team,” Cameron Matthews said. “It was a dog fight and they just made a few more plays than us.”

Matthews wasn’t at fault. The senior did everything his body could do to get State the win. In 36 minutes, Matthews had 19 points with 10 rebounds, six steals and three assists.

Unfortunately for State, the 3-point barrage from the Wildcats, a 3-for-11 shooting night from long range by Josh Hubbard, foul trouble and Riley Kugel’s injury put State behind the eight ball.

“I’m just disappointed that he emptied his tank. He always plays hard, but tonight was different, I thought,” coach Chris Jans said. “He was all over the floor and had a huge impact on the game, it just would have been so nice if it would have been in a winning effort.”

Bulldogs find themselves with familiar result against Big Blue

Of the 13 single-digit losses during the stretch against the Wildcats, eight of those have come at Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs put together another raucous, sold-out environment, but they again left dejected.

The frustrating losses began in 2010 when the Bulldogs were on the verge of taking down John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and John Calipari but the Wildcats escaped with a 81-75 win in overtime. In 2012, Calipari brought Anthony Davis and his Wildcats and fell behind by double digits before taking a 73-64 win.

Ben Howland lost three close games at the Hump. The last was within the team’s grasp before going to overtime. He was able to end the long losing streak against UK and Calipari, but it came in the SEC tournament later that year.

Jans has hosted the Wildcats in three-straight years and hasn’t been able to get the victory. Last year, Hubbard and Reed Sheppard, literally, went shot-for-shot with Hubbard making a three to tie the game in the final seconds but Sheppard coming down and hitting a jumper for the win.

Saturday’s loss came down to 3-point shooting. UK hit an incredible 16-of-32 shots from long range and 56% from the field. 27 points and 7-of-10 shooting from distance came from Jaxson Robinson – a player that averages 29% from three.

“They’re an explosive offensive basketball team and what they do is make threes,” Jans said. “The biggest difference was Jaxson Robinson really got it going and it was almost like he knew every shot was going. Our 3-point shooting defense has been an issue for us. We shore it up the last few games, but it bit us (Saturday).”

In what is as brutal of an SEC season as ever before, there is no rest for the Bulldogs. State narrowly missed a massive win over the No. 6 Wildcats and now have to travel to take on the potential No. 1 team in the country in Auburn on Tuesday night (6 p.m., SEC Network).

“You just don’t get very long to mourn, if you will. I have no worries these kids will be ready to go (Sunday),” Jans said. “They have to move on, learn and grow and get their minds on Auburn. Short term memory is what basketball players need. You’ve got to get to the next game and I’m pretty confident come Tuesday night when we tip, they’ll be ready to go.”