Mississippi State Men’s Basketball Upsets No. 5 Tennessee

In one of the most physical contests of the season, the Bulldogs outlasted the Volunteers for their first SEC win of the season.

Mississippi State basketball finished strong after a strong second-half offensive outing by No. 5 Tennessee and defeated the Volunteers 77-72 to get their first top-5 team win in two decades.

The duo of Tolu Smith and Josh Hubbard started to gel as they controlled the offensive side of the ball for Mississippi State (12-3, 1-1 SEC), both finishing with 20-plus points.

Hubbard was fearless on the floor making five threes while shooting 50 percent from behind the arch, and finished with 25 points. The impact of his shot-creating and making difficult shots is what has allowed the Bulldogs to finally get over the top in close games that in the past, State would have squandered away.

Smith was inserted back into the starting lineup for the first time this season and dominated the paint, scoring 23 points with a surprising lack of rebounds with four. While the rebounding was on the shorter end, his offensive presence and force caused center Jonas Aidoo to foul out during a crucial moment of the game that swung momentum back in favor of MSU.

The Bulldogs had a strong offensive outing from the senior center and freshman guard, but the defense of the Bulldogs was the story of the game.

While it might not show on the offensive side of the stat sheet, D.J. Jefferies was a force on the defensive side of the ball and his energy and effort stood out. He was a key factor in holding Tennessee (11-4, 1-1 SEC) to 22 points in the first half. Although Dalton Knecht torched the court in the second half, he took the challenge no matter how exhausted he was.

“He’s a great offensive player, and he got hot during the second half but you know I had to just step up and go in and take the challenge. It doesn’t matter who I got to guard, I don’t fear anyone so I'm going to go out there and take the challenge each and every night,” Jefferies said.

He finished the game with a career-high five steals, four of which came in the first half, and a timely block on Dalton Knecht, who was a key factor in keeping the Vols in the game during the closing stretches finishing with a game-high 28 points. 

Head Coach Chris Jans noted in his weekly media call that the loss to South Carolina will stick with throw throughout the season but riding the momentum of a win of this magnitude could lead to big things for Mississippi State. 

"I was glad that we stuck together," he said after the win. "We've been in this situation before and just used that experience, and we just had some guys step up and they just were determined to win this game and they made some plays."

The Bulldogs will stay at home in their next contest and will host Alabama (10-5, 2-0 SEC) who are coming off an impressive victory over South Carolina on Saturday (7:30 p.m. on SEC Network).

'Iron Sharpens Iron!' Tolu Smith Praises Jimmy Bell Jr.

Anarchy? Nope. Just College Basketball.#HailState🐶 || @JonRothstein pic.twitter.com/My3HefBMUd

— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) January 11, 2024