No. 25 Mississippi State gets another chance to build speed for the season when it closes its home schedule against struggling Texas in an important southeastern southeastern conference game Tuesday in Starkville, Miss.
The bulldogs (20-9, 8-8 sec) snapped a two-game losing line with an 81-69 home victory over LSU on Saturday. Josh Hubbard scored 30 points and Riley Kugel added 12 when the Mississippi State outsourced LSU with 14 points after half time and jumped back from a 38-point drinking at then no. 6 Alabama on February 25.
“It was as big a game as we have had all year,” said Mississippi State Coach Chris Jans after the victory over LSU. “I put some extra pressure on (the team) because I wanted them to feel that way. I wanted them to feel it was a must-win, because I felt it was.
“For a number of different reasons, I wanted to see how they would act in the printed situation – hoping that we are in these types of games here soon.”
Mississippi State shot 64 percent from the floor during the second half and dressed its third season in a row of 20 victories.
Saturday was Hubbard’s 24th 20-point game in his career, where the other has started 43 straight matches.
“Being a complete player is what I worked with during the season,” Hubbard said. “Just getting downhill, being aggressive and putting some pressure on the defense.”
Bulldog’s last two matches are against troops that are not ranked in the top 25. Three of Mississippi State winnings in league games have come against ranked teams.
The game has added importance to Longhorns (16-13, 5-11), which probably needs to win Tuesday in Starkville and Saturday versus Oklahoma at home in its regular season final to be considered for an NCAA tournament in large bid.
Texas has sat down in this position by losing six of its last seven competitions, including the last three to Unranmed South Carolina, Arkansas and Georgia. Longhorns looked completely uninspired Saturday in a home of 83-67 home to Georgia, fell behind with 27 points six minutes into the second half and never did a serious driving.
“We didn’t get that kind of beginning we wanted to go, especially from an offensive point of view,” said Texas coach Rodney Terry. “I feel we let it dictate some of our defensive effort to start the ball game.”
Arthur Kaluma led Longhorns with 15 points while the reserve Jayson Kent added 14 and Jordan Pope had 10. Three Johnson, SEC’s leading goal scorer of 20.6 points per match, was limited to 12 points and did not try a shot from the floor after half time.
“We cannot have these first half -decay and then decide to turn it around in the second half,” Texas said forward Devon Pryor. “We just have to start the game strong every time.”
Texas has won five of its eight meetings with Bulldogs, which includes a victory of 69-55 in their last matchup November 21, 2012, in Maui Invitational.
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