STARKVILLE, MS- For the second straight season, the Wildcats will close out the calendar year with a date with Mississippi State, this time with the Bulldogs entering as the #17 team in the country. Tipoff of the final non-conference game of the season for B-CU is set for 9 p.m. EST from Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville. 
 


Monday, Dec. 30
Opponent: #17 Mississippi State (11-1) 
Time: 9:00 p.m. EST
Location: Starkville, Miss. | Humphrey Coliseum
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The Ward-Freeman-Thomas trio was excellent once again, for it was not enough as B-CU falls to 3-9 on the year after a 76-63 loss at Davidson, last Saturday evening at Belk Arena.

FIRST HALF

Davidson (9-3) slowly crept out to a lead in the first half at 11-8 through five minutes of play. Davidson scored the next five and 10 of the next 15 as their lead grew to 21-13 through nine minutes of play before Kalil Camara's three stopped the bleeding for B-CU (3-9).

A Davidson and-one on a Bobby Durkin three gave the Wildcats their biggest lead at the time 25-16 before Daniel Rouzan's layup brought the deficit down to five.

Davidson threatened to run away with the game on a Conner Kochera layup that made it 38-25, but Bethune-Cookman stayed close - Trey Thomas's steal and score made it just a 41-34 Davidson lead at the break. 

SECOND HALF

Neither team scored consecutive buckets for over three minutes in the second half until Rouzan made it 48-42, Davidson with 16 to play. 

Davidson built its lead back up to 14 on a Kochera three, but B-CU kept close, as Jesus Carralero Martin's three brought the deficit back to single digits at 59-51 with 10 to play. 

B-CU kept pace for much of the second half, but Davidson began to take control with fewer than five to play, leading by as much as 20 on the way to the 76-63 win. 




Mississippi State is 11-1 on the year, ranking as the #19 team in the country according to both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs have won five straight after dropping their only game of the year, 87-77, back on November 29. The Bulldogs enter play off a 79-66 win at #21 Memphis back on Dec. 21.

The Bulldogs are averaging 84 points per game and allowing only 68 to opponents. They have done that on a 47% shooting percentage from the field, and a 34% clip from three. The Bulldogs have out-rebounded opponents by an average of six boards per game, and average nearly 18 assists per game. Mississippi State also sports a 1.9 assist to turnover ratio, and turns opponents over an average of 5 more times per game. 

Sophomore guard Josh Hubbard leads the way offensively for Mississippi State, averaging 18 points per game on 44 percent shooting and 40 percent shooting from three. KeShawn Murphy and Claudell Harris Jr. are the only other Bulldogs averaging in double figures in scoring. Murphy leads the Bulldogs on the boards with eight rebounds per game. 




Monday is the third-ever meeting between B-CU and Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have won both previous matchups, most recently an 85-62 win on Dec. 31, 2023. 

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