Image source: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Mississippi State picked up an important win on Wednesday night, beating Georgia Tech 85-73 in the ACC/SEC Challenge in Atlanta. The Bulldogs were led by Josh Hubbard, who had a strong game with 25 points and five assists.
Mississippi State came into the matchup as the only SEC team with a losing record, but they played with confidence from the start. Jayden Epps added 14 points, Brandon Walker scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Jamarion Davis-Fleming also finished with 11. Shawn Jones Jr. came off the bench and added nine points to give the Bulldogs more support.
Georgia Tech, now 5-4, stayed in the game mostly because of Kowacie Reeves Jr. He scored 23 points, hit seven 3-pointers, and pulled down nine rebounds. Baye Ndongo, Akai Fleming, and Mouhamed Sylla each scored 12 points. But the Yellow Jackets struggled with their shooting and went just 26-for-77 (33.8%) from the field. It was also their third straight loss.
The Bulldogs led 37-28 at halftime and came out strong in the second half. Quincy Ballard threw down a dunk, Epps scored on a three-point play, and Hubbard dropped in a jumper to make the lead 16 early in the half.
Reeves tried to bring Georgia Tech back by hitting three 3-pointers in a row, cutting the lead to seven. But Josh Hubbard answered with two threes of his own, pushing Mississippi State back up by double digits. A putback by Ballard and a bucket by Ja’Borri McGhee made the score 68-52 with just over seven minutes left.
Reeves hit another deep shot to keep things interesting, but Mississippi State closed the game with a 10-4 run. Hubbard and Davis-Fleming each scored late buckets to lock up the win and put the Bulldogs ahead by 17 with under three minutes to go.
Georgia Tech started the night fast with a 9-2 run, but Mississippi State quickly settled in and took control. When Walker hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to 29-18 in the first half, the Bulldogs never looked back.
This win gives Mississippi State a much-needed boost as they try to turn their season around. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, will look for answers after dropping three straight games.
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