Mississippi State Loses A Heartbreaker At The Buzzer To No. 16 Kentucky

The Bulldogs showed heart by fighting back til the very end but in the end, the Wildcats find a way to get away with a victory.

STARKVILLE, Ms - An eight-point comeback on the heels of another Josh Hubbard career-high left the Mississippi State Bulldogs heartbroken as they lost to No. 16 Kentucky 91-89.

It was the battle for potential SEC Freshman of the Year from both teams as Hubbard and Reed Sheppard dueled in an epic game with Reed getting the better of the Bulldogs at the end of the game. Hubbard has had back-to-back career games with his then career high of 32 being scored at LSU and against Kentucky he topped that by scoring 34.

Sheppard on the other hand dominated and controlled the tempo all second half scoring 23 points while hitting the game-winning shot and game-winning steal to seal the win for the Wildcats. 

The Bulldogs were up by 13 at one point in the second half but the same issues all season crept up on the Bulldogs. Missed free throws with an opportunity to tie the game by Tolu Smith III and costly turnovers by Cameron Matthews allowed UK to get back into the game. 

Smith did finish with a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds,but a key piece towards the end of the game was Matthews fouling out in the final minute who had become one the primary defender on Sheppard in the closing stretches.

Head Coach Chris Jans talked about the changes that happened after having the 13-point lead that led to Kentucky taking over the game. 

"They just picked their pace up," Jans said."They played with more pace offensively, they were more determined and we had some breakdowns giving up angle up front without the ball screen. When they came, for whatever reason, we were not as aggressive. They flipped the script on us."

The Bulldogs have another difficult game ahead of them as they try to wipe away this crushing loss as they are on the road to face No. 11 Auburn on Saturday, March 2 on ESPN2. 

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Here Is How It Happened:

Second Half

This story will be regularly updated throughout the game.

Final Stat Sheet

Final: Mississippi State 89, Kentucky 91

0.5 - Hubbard ties the game after Sheppard hits his free throws but Sheppard has been a killer all night with 23 in the second half. He steals the ball at the end of the game to seal the deal for his team. Mississippi State 89, Kentucky 91

16: The Bulldogs force a turnover and there is a chance for them to be back in the game. Smith is at the line and shooting free throws and makes both. Mississippi State 86, Kentucky 87

:35 Hubbard is trying his hardest to will this team back into the game. Back-to-back 3-pointers for him with him one point shy of his career-high that he achieved last game (32) with 31 points. Mississippi State 81, Kentucky 87

:46 - Media timeout. Hubbard hits a three to make it a five-point game but Reed Sheppard has taken over the half by scoring 17 points. State is now intentionally to try and get opportunities on the offense end. Mississippi State 78, Kentucky 83  

1:46 - The Bulldogs have dealt with free-throw struggles all season long and this game will come down to made free throws. Moore makes his but Smith misses his one-and-one opportunity. Mississippi State 75, Kentucky 78.

3:17 - Media timeout. Mississippi State has held the lead for most of the game but mistakes on rotation and bad turnovers from forced passes in the paint have allowed Kentucky to take the lead.  Mississippi State 71, Kentucky 74

4:51 - Media timeout. This one looks like it's going to go down the wire with both teams trading baskets back and forth on the floor. The energy in the Hump is next to none with every person out of their seat. They are into the game and so are the Bulldogs. Mississippi State 71, Kentucky 67.

6:01 - Smith is starting to get involved in the game again and the crowd is taking appreciation to it. Sheppard and Reeves's impact is still being felt by the Bulldogs. Mississippi State 69, Kentucky 65

10:35 - Chris Jans calls a timeout as Kentucky has made the last 5 of its shots. Sheppard is starting to make a huge impact on the game by scoring and making smart passes. Mississippi State 60, Kentucky 58

11:31 - Media timeout on the floor and not has happened for the Bulldogs outside of the first 3 minutes offensively. Hubbard finally gets another shot to fall and up to 21 but Smith has not been a focus in the offense like he was in the first half. Antonio Reeves is having a nice performance for the Wildcats with 16 points. Mississippi State 58, Kentucky 52.

13:14 - it has been a scoring drought for both teams but each has ended their misfortunes by scoring in the paint. The game has started to turn into a defensive chess match but the pawns of Kentucky as starting to get loose. Mississippi State, 56, Kentucky 50

15:23 - Media timeout on the floor. This is a game of scoring streaks. The Bulldogs will go on a 7-0 run or something similar, then the Wildcats will follow suit. Coming out of timeouts is when momentum usually changes from team to team so it is up in the air of what could happen on this stretch of play. 

16:02 - After the hot start from Hubbard, the team has slowed down on the offensive end now scoring over 2 minutes. On the other hand, Kentucky is on a 6-0 run and starting to cut into the lead. Mississippi State 52, Kentucky 45

18:10 - Kentucky is forced to take a timeout. Mississippi State has come out of the half on a mission. Hubbard is fighting on both ends of the floor with seven quick points and forcing tie-ups with the ball. The Bulldogs are also starting to read the lobs that Kentucky likes the throw when players are in trouble in the paint. Mississippi State 52, Kentucky 39

19:06 - Hubbard is special. The first shot of the half and you know it's a three. He hits it while getting fouled and completes the and-one. Mississippi State 47, Kentucky 39

First Half

Halftime: Mississippi State 43, Kentucky 35

Halftime Stats

Two different styles of basketball are being played by both teams. Mississippi State has an old-school mindset of slowing down the game with scoring in the paint and when the opportunity presents itself they will shoot a three. Kentucky is the opposite with 18 attempts from behind the arch and half of the Wildcats shots made are threes. 

:59 - Timeout called by Chris Jans. The Bulldog's pace of the game is starting to take a toll on the high-octane offense that Kentucky possessions. Mississippi State 30, Kentucky 32

2:45 - The ball is moving for the Bulldogs, but maybe it is moving a bit too much. D.J. Jefferies hits a three with the shot clock winding down. Mississippi State 37, Kentucky 30

3:51 - Media timeout on the floor. So far both teams are matched evenly on each side of the ball. Kentucky has the advantage with the 3-point shot and MSU has the advantage in the paint so it has balanced the scoring out. Mississippi State 34, Kentucky 30  

6:21 - Smith is just a beast in the paint, has 11 points so far in the game, and leads both teams in scoring. Kentucky on the other hand is shooting well from behind the arch. They 6-14 from 3-point line. Mississippi State 30, Kentucky 27

7:48 - Another media timeout on the floor. Kentucky will have spurts of great offensive possessions and will catch the Bulldogs out of place with quick ball movement and they cash in on an open three. State is doing a great job of getting the free throw line but the key for them like most games is to make them. They are currently 6-10 from the line. Mississippi State 26, Kentucky 20

9:28 - Hubbard is starting to get into his groove with a 3-pointer and has had some impressive fast-break defense on a couple of possessions. I have also mentioned that Murphy is great at basketball. He draws a defender in the air and completes an and-one. Mississippi State 24, Kentucky 20.

11:50- Media timeout on the floor - Kentucky is on a 7-0 run, and the insertion of Ivisic Zvonimir has caused trouble for the inside scoring of The Bulldogs. Keshawn Murphy also has eyes in the back of his head with a great pass on the inside to Moore. Mississippi State 16, Kentucky 10

15:07 - Media timeout on the floor. The Bulldogs have started how any would dream but this is the case for most games for Mississippi State. Now comes the task of moving with the adjustments that Kentucky will make and matching them. State is on a 9-0 and has gotten the Wildcats into early foul trouble. 

17:18 - The Bulldogs have forced two early turnovers on the Wildcats with great defense. Smith has enforced his will early into the game with six early points for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State 12, Kentucky 3

18:13 - Shawn Jones Jr. opens the game with a three for the Bulldogs. Matthews on the other end dives for a tipped pass by Hubbard, and Smith finishes at the rim. Mississippi State 5, Kentucky 3

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After scoring a career-high, Josh Hubbard is looking to lead the Mississippi State Bulldogs to victory at home against No. 16 Kentucky. This is also a battle between three of the top SEC freshmen in Hubbard, Rob Dillingham and Reed Shepard. 

The last time the teams fasted each other it was a bad night in the office for Hubbard going 1-11 from the field in a 90-77 loss on the road but Hubbard is on a hot streak and so are the Bulldogs including Tolu Smith III and Cameron Matthews. Smith has been coming off the bench to help with bench production while Matthews has been the best on-ball defender for State all season.

How to Watch: No. 16 Kentucky at Mississippi State

What: No. 16 Kentucky (19-8, 9-5 SEC) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (19-8, 8-6 SEC)

Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Miss.

When: Tuesday, Feb, 27 at 6:00 p.m. CT

TV: ESPN 

Mississippi State Starting Five	Kentucky Starting Five
Shakeel Moore	Justice Edwards
Shawn Jones Jr.	Adou Thiero
Josh Hubbard	Antonio Reeves
Tolu Smith III	D.J. Wagner
Cameron Matthews	Ugonna Onyenso

How To Watch: No. 17 Kentucky at Mississippi State