The Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-3, 1-2 SEC) will take on the Georgia Bulldogs (11-4, 1-1 SEC) in Athens, GA at Stegeman Coliseum for an SEC matchup. The Bulldogs have won two of their last five games and are coming off a win against Ole Miss while Georgia has won four of its last five games and is coming off a loss against Florida.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs broke their three-game losing streak after earning a 64-54 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday. This marked just their second victory in five games. Will McNair Jr. (13 PTS, 7 REB, 1 BLK, 71.4% FG) helped lead the Bulldogs while Tolu Smith (12 PTS, 5 REB, 1 STL, 71.4% FG) followed behind. As a team, Mississippi State shot 39.7% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc, and 50% from the line while also earning 42 rebounds, 15 assists, 12 steals, and one block. They allowed the Rebels to shoot 35.8% from the field and 23.5% from deep while giving up 12 points from the free-throw line.
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— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) January 7, 2023
This season, the Bulldogs' scoring offense is ranked 293rd, averaging 66.9 points per game while making 41.9% of their field goals, 62% of their free throws, and 30.7% of their 3-pointers. They are also recording 38.9 rebounds, 15.2 assists, 10.1 steals, and 3.9 blocks while turning the ball over 12.4 times per game. This season they are yielding an assist/turnover ratio of 1.23 (72nd), earning 228 assists and 186 turnovers. The Bulldogs have one of the top defenses this season, surrendering just 56.7 points per game (5th) while allowing their opponents to shoot 38.6% from the field (21st). Smith is the scoring and rebound leader, averaging 14.2 points per game while pulling down 7.8 rebounds. D.J. Jeffries is the second-leading scorer avergaing 9.1 points while also contributing 6.1 rebounds.