Starkville is feeling a little heavy today. Honestly, if you walked into a coffee shop on University Drive this morning, you’d probably hear the same collective sigh. Everyone is looking for that specific miss state game score from last night, hoping for a miracle they didn't see on the TV, but the reality is a bit of a gut punch.
The Bulldogs just dropped a tough one to No. 18 Alabama, finishing 97-82. It wasn't just a loss; it was one of those games that makes you want to throw your remote at the wall because for the first ten minutes, State looked like the best team in the country.
What Really Happened with the Mississippi State Game Score
It started out like a dream. The Hump was rocking. Josh Hubbard and Shawn Jones Jr. were throwing up triples like they couldn't miss, and suddenly, the Bulldogs were up 17-7. You’re sitting there thinking, "Okay, this is it. This is where we turn the season around." State actually pushed that lead to 14 points.
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Then, the wheels didn't just come off; they basically disintegrated.
Alabama went on this absolutely soul-crushing 34-7 run that spanned the end of the first half and the beginning of the second. By the time the Bulldogs blinked, they were down by double digits. Labaron Philon Jr. for Bama played like a man possessed, putting up 32 points. It’s hard to win when a guy is hitting 20 points in a single half against you.
Breaking Down the Box Score
While the final miss state game score of 82-97 looks bad, there were some bright spots if you're the glass-half-full type.
- Josh Hubbard is still that dude. He poured in 23 points and officially moved into 8th place on State's all-time scoring list, passing Darryl Wilson. He’s now just 13 points away from Dee Bost.
- Quincy Ballard was a beast on the boards. He grabbed 17 rebounds, which is actually a record for any player under Coach Chris Jans.
- Jayden Epps chipped in 13, but the team shooting overall was just... cold. They hit about 36.8% from the floor. You aren't beating a top-20 Bama team shooting like that.
The Post-Bowl Hangover is Real
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the Maroon and White. If you’re still thinking about the football miss state game score from the start of the month, you aren't alone. That 43-29 loss to Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on January 2nd still stings.
Jeff Lebby’s first couple of years have been a bit of a rollercoaster, to put it lightly. Finishing the football season at 5-8 with a loss in Charlotte wasn't how anyone envisioned the "New Era" starting. Kamario Taylor showed flashes—that 241-yard performance in the bowl game gave us something to chew on—but the defense just couldn't get off the field.
Why the Schedule Doesn't Get Any Easier
If you're tracking the miss state game score to see when the momentum shifts, mark your calendar for Saturday, January 17th.
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The Rebels are coming to town.
Nothing heals a wound like beating Ole Miss, but the Bulldogs are currently 10-7 (2-2 in the SEC) and struggling with consistency. Ole Miss is coming in hot, and after what happened in the Egg Bowl (a 38-19 loss back in November), the vibes in Starkville are a mix of "revenge" and "anxiety."
The women's team is also in the thick of it. They're facing a massive test against No. 5 Vanderbilt today, January 15th. Vandy is 17-0. Let that sink in. The women’s miss state game score tonight is going to tell us a lot about whether Sam Purcell’s squad can hang with the elite tier of the SEC this year.
Actionable Insights for the True Bulldog Fan
- Watch the Hubbard Milestone: Josh Hubbard is 13 points away from 7th all-time. If you’re going to the Ole Miss game, expect the energy to explode when he hits that bucket.
- Monitor the Paint: Chris Jans’ teams live and die by rebounding. When Ballard leads in rebounds, State is usually 5-1. The loss to Alabama was an anomaly where they won the board battle but lost the game—mostly due to those 15 turnovers.
- Check the Women's Result: The Vanderbilt game tonight is at the Hump at 5:30 PM. It’s a chance to snap Vandy’s streak and completely flip the narrative of the week.
The road ahead is basically a gauntlet. Between the men trying to find their defensive identity and the women trying to play giant-killer, the next few miss state game score updates are going to be mandatory viewing for anyone who bleeds Maroon and White. Keep an eye on the turnover margin; it’s been the silent killer in almost every loss this January.