Mississippi State 80-58 UNLV (November 28, 2024) Game Recap

TEMPE, Ariz. — KeShawn Murphy had 14 points and 13 rebounds, Josh Hubbard scored 11 and No. 25 Mississippi State defeated UNLV 80-58 in the Arizona Tip-Off on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs (6-0) used two runs to build a 13-point halftime lead and extended it significantly early in the second half to advance to the championship game against Butler on Friday night.

Mississippi State had a 46-29 rebounding advantage and scored 30 second-chance points off 19 offensive rebounds.

Jailen Bedford had 13 points and Jalen Hill added 11 to lead the Runnin’ Rebels (4-2).

The Bulldogs dominated after the first six minutes, building a 39-21 lead with runs of 7-0 and 12-2. UNLV used a 6-0 spurt to get to 45-32 at halftime.

The Runnin’ Rebels shot better overall in the first half, going 14 of 25, but the Bulldogs went 7 for 14 from 3-point range and had 16 second-chance points from nine offensive rebounds.

Mississippi State went on an 11-0 run to take a 62-36 lead and didn’t allow UNLV to cut the lead below 20 the rest of the way.

Takeaways

UNLV: The Runnin’ Rebels were no match for the Mississippi State insider and struggled to get big man Jeremiah Cherry going. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound forward finished the game with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting and grabbed two rebounds against consistent double teams.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs were relentless on offense and it paid off, especially in the first half. Murphy led the way with four offensive rebounds.

Key moment

Mississippi State hit five straight shots to build its big early lead, but the defense converted them and held UNLV scoreless for a 3:18 stretch.

Key statistics

Mississippi State showcased its strength, outscoring UNLV 48-13 off the bench.

Next

Mississippi State will face Butler in the championship game on Friday night. UNLV plays Northwestern.

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