The Mississippi State men’s basketball team is making a statement in the SEC Tournament as it obliterated top-seeded Tennessee 73-56 on Friday afternoon.
Fueled by a strong defensive effort, the Bulldogs (21-12, 10-10 SEC) were able to force the Volunteers (24-8, 14-5 SEC) to one of their worst shooting performances of the season. An incredibly efficient outing on both sides of the floor from senior forward Cam Matthews also propelled the team to a blowout win versus the No. 5 nationally-ranked opponent.
Matthews scored 18 points from a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor and a nearly flawless 4-of-5 from the free throw line. The Olive Branch native also accounted for eight rebounds and three steals in Friday’s showdown.
“It means a lot for us just knowing what we came to this tournament trying to do — get to the NCAA Tournament,” Matthews told ESPN’s Marty Smith after the game. “Tennessee’s a great team. They gave us confidence going into the next tournament.”
Mississippi State took an early lead in the contest and never looked back. The Bulldogs held Tennessee to just 19 first-half points while doubling up the Volunteers on the offensive side.
Tennessee began the second half on a 10-2 run in the first four minutes to cut the deficit to 12, opening the door for a possible comeback. Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans called a timeout at the 15:38 mark to regroup his guys. The message Jans gave to his team resonated as a triple from freshman standout Josh Hubbard kickstarted an 11-2 run over the next three minutes to give the Bulldogs a 21-point advantage, their largest of the afternoon.
Another attempt by Tennessee to claw back into the game took place as the Volunteers once again cut the deficit to 12 with just over five minutes left to play, but a timely three from D.J. Jeffries put Mississippi State up 15 in the dwindling minutes of action and sealed the deal to prevent any chance of the Bulldogs having their hearts broken.
While Thursday’s win over LSU more than likely punched the Bulldogs’ ticket to the Big Dance, Friday’s big victory over the conference’s top team cemented Mississippi State’s second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had the Bulldogs sitting comfortably as a No. 10 seed in his latest bracket.
Jans’ group will continue its run in the SEC Tournament versus either fourth-seeded Auburn or fifth-seeded South Carolina on Saturday at noon central.
