Junior guard Josh Hubbard scored 32 points on 12-for-16 shooting and dished out a game-high six assists to lead the most accurate Mississippi State shooting performance of the season in a 90-78 win over host Ole Miss on Saturday night in Oxford.
Mississippi State (12-13, 4-8 Southeastern Conference) had shot better than 50% only four times all season but shot 62.1% (18-for-29) in the first half and finished at a season-best 57.9% (33-for-57) from the field. The Bulldogs also shot 11-for-24 (45.8%) from 3-point range, which tied the team’s season high for long-range makes and was the second-best accuracy from distance.
Hubbard scored 16 of his points in the first half when the Bulldogs built a 19-point lead, 47-28, after 20 minutes and helped them end a run of eight losses in their previous nine games. It was the fifth 30-plus scoring performance of the season for Hubbard, who had 31 points in a home loss to Tennessee on Wednesday.
State jumped out to a 13-3 lead in the first five minutes of the game, with Achor Achor scoring the team’s first 11 points and Hubbard dropping a jumper to end the run.
Ole Miss pulled within 24-21 on AJ Storr’s layup with 7:43 left in the half, but State responded with the next seven points, including a Hubbard 3-pointer. The Rebels closed within five, but the Bulldogs finished the half on a 16-2 run with seven more points coming from Hubbard. Ole Miss never pulled closer than 12 points in the second half.
Hubbard was joined in double-figure scoring by Achor, who tallied 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting and also grabbed five rebounds. Jayden Epps added 12 points and seven rebounds.
Ole Miss (11-14, 3-9) has lost its last seven games and struggled to find offense aside from Malik Dia and reserve Storr.
Dia tallied 32 points on 11-for-20 shooting and pulled down seven boards. Storr scored 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting while grabbing six rebounds and dishing five assists. No other Rebel topped six points.
–Field Level Media
