Four Takeaways From Mississippi State's Victory Over Vanderbilt

The Mississippi State men's basketball team improved on some recent struggles on Saturday.

The Mississippi State men's basketball team defeated Vanderbilt 68-55 on Saturday.

The Bulldogs entered the game losing their previous two SEC contests but now sit at a 13-5 overall record, including 2-3 in the conference.

This matchup had many factors that influenced the outcome in Starkville, Miss. Here are five takeaways:

1. Superb Interior Defense

Issues on the defensive side of the ball were the main takeaway from Mississippi State's losses to Kentucky and Alabama, but the Bulldogs thrived on this end throughout Saturday night. In fact, their 55 points allowed is Mississippi State's second-lowest amount of the season.

The Bulldogs' defensive effort was certainly more apparent in the first half, as their constant pressure forced Vanderbilt to convert on just 7-of-27 of its attempts from the field. Half of the Commodores' shots were from behind the arc as the paint was rarely left alone—an area Mississippi State didn't cover well against Kentucky.

Mississippi State held Vanderbilt scoreless in the paint all the way up until 6:34 left in the first half. The Commodores finished the first 20 minutes with just six points in that area. Additionally, the Bulldogs allowed just two trips to the charity stripe, as their interior defense remained disciplined when Vanderbilt tried to draw fouls.

The second half was more back-and-forth by both sides as Mississippi State often chewed the clock due to a comfortable lead, but Vanderbilt ended the game with just 18 points in the paint.

2. Two Main Issues

The Bulldogs were happy with the victory, but they weren't perfect. They shot well on the inside and were stout defensively, but their attempts from downtown and the free-throw line raised some eyebrows.

Mississippi State converted on 6-of-21 shots from behind the arc (28.6 percent). Their aggression helped them get to the charity stripe for easy scoring opportunities, but they didn't take full advantage as they hit just 12-of-22 (54.5 percent). 

Missed free throws have been an issue of late and that was the main takeaway from the Bulldogs' loss to Alabama. Free throws are a crucial part of the game and as SEC play continues, this is an asset that Mississippi State desperately needs to improve on.

3. Points in the Paint

As previously stated, it took Vanderbilt nearly 15 minutes to score a single point in the paint. When that time had come, Mississippi State had already scored 18 in that area.

Excluding their misses from deep, the Bulldogs finished the game shooting 19-of-37 from inside the arc (51.4 percent). Most of this came from inside of the paint as they scored 36 of their 68 points from there.

4. Who Was Scoring Inside?

Mississippi State forward Tolu Smith was one of the players who struggled from the line, but besides that, he was simply dominant.

Smith hit all four of his shots inside (plus two free throws) to end the first half with a team-high 10 points. He continued to be a force inside in the second period as he finished with 25 points.

Smith entered Saturday averaging seven rebounds per game—the second-most on the team. However, he didn't record a single board in the entire first half. But a switch would flip and found a way to grab a team-high 11 rebounds in the second half alone.

This was the senior's third game of the season with 20 points and the 21st of his career. It was also his 27th-career double-double and 11th 20-point and 10-rebound contest.

Everything Tolu Smith, Jimmy Bell Jr. Said After Defeating Vanderbilt