A solid night on the scoreboard by Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard was not enough to lift the Bulldogs to victory over No. 16 Iowa State, as the Cyclones earned a 96-80 win during Monday’s neutral site showdown in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Hubbard connected on a jumper to give Mississippi State a 16-15 advantage with 9:54 on the first half clock, but that would be the last time the maroon and white led in the matchup. From there, a multitude of sloppy offensive possessions by the Bulldogs would kickstart an Iowa State run that found the Cyclones building what would end up being an insurmountable lead.
15 first-half turnovers for Mississippi State (1-1) ignited a 24-8 Iowa State (3-0) run to close out the opening frame, allowing T.J. Otzelberger’s group to take a 53-35 lead to the intermission. In the second half, Iowa State kept its foot on the gas pedal and sustained its lead for the remainder of the game.
While Hubbard scored 25 points, connecting on 47% of the shots he took in the matchup, his team’s 26 turnovers were an Achilles heel that the Cyclones took advantage of. Iowa State logged 29 points off of giveaways. The Cyclones also saw better productivity from their bench, outscoring the Bulldogs 29-25.
Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey had a team-best 25 points, while Joshua Jefferson scored 18. Amid an otherwise suboptimal performance, Kansas State transfer Achor Achor showed promise for Mississippi State, nearing a double-double with 9 points and 8 rebounds.
Mississippi State will look to bounce back with a matchup against Southeastern Louisiana on the horizon. That game will tip off on Saturday from Humphrey Coliseum at 2 p.m. CT and will be aired on SEC Network+ along with participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
