Mississippi State is coming off back-to-back losses but a struggling Vanderbilt team will be a good way for MSU to get back into the win column.
Vanderbilt has not won a conference game so far this season and with State's defense being highly touted, they will need an explosive performance from one of their guards.
What: Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-5, 1-3 SEC) versus Vanderbilt Commodores (5-12, 0-4 SEC)
Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Mississippi
TV: SEC Network
When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Central
Lineups
Vanderbilt Commodores
Tyrin Lawrence
Ezra Manjon
Evan Taylor
Jason Rivera-Torres
Ven-Allen Lubin
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Shakeel Moore
Dashawn Davis
D.J. Jefferies
Tolu Smith III
Cameron Matthews
First Half
The Commodores open the game with a transition three. Vanderbilt leads 3-0.
Smith drives into the paint and gets fouled while finishing the layup. He misses his free throw. Vanderbilt leads 3-2.
Moore hits a running floater. MSU leads 4-3.
Jefferies gets the long rebound and finishes a tough layup around the rim. MSU leads 6-3.
Vanderbilt gets another three after a slow rotation by State. The game is tied 6-6.
Vanderbilt beats the shot clock and hits a tough layup over Smith. Smith returned the favor with a dunk on the other end. The game is tied 8-8.
Moore forces a steal and Shawn Jones Jr. makes the transition layup. MSU leads 10-8.
Vanderbilt gets fouled and makes both of the team's free throws. It is a tied game 10-10.
Sloppy play by State allows the Commodores to get to the free-throw line and make both shots. Vanderbilt leads 12-10.
Josh Hubbard checks in and on his first shot attempt, he gets fouled on a 3-point attempt. He goes one for three. Vanderbilt leads 12-11.
Jimmy Bell Jr. gets an offensive rebound off a Trey Fort miss. MSU leads 13-12.
After a good time of both teams going scoreless, Bell Jr. gets into the post and makes a shot. MSU leads 15-12
Smith enters back into the game, gets to his spot, and scores back-to-back. MSU leads 19-12.
Vanderbilt has not scored in over five minutes. Smith gets fouled and heads to the free-throw line. He makes them both. MSU leads 21-12.
Hubbard makes a deep three to wake the crowd back up. MSU leads 24-12.
Vanderbilt ends its scoring drought after a smooth pick and roll. MSU leads 24-14.
Vanderbilt makes a corner three after a slow rotation by Hubbard. MSU leads 24-17.
Moore gets sent to the charity stripe and hits both of his shots. MSU leads 26-17.
Moore gets fouled again and is sent back to the free-throw line. He makes them both and MSU leads 28-17.
Moore gets a block and Fort hits a three of a Matthews assist. MSU leads 31-17.
Fort gets a very athletic steal and feeds Jefferies who gets gets fouled while making the layup. He misses his free throw. MSU leads 33-17.
Vanderbilt scored on back-to-back possessions. MSU leads 33-21.
Hubbard ends the half hitting a three. MSU leads 36-21.
Second Half
Vanderbilt opens the half getting fouled. they spilt the shots. MSU leads 36-22.
Smith gets a nice pass inside pass from Moore and finishes with a dunk. MSU leads 38-22.
The Commodores made a difficult layup. MSU leads 38-24.
Smith gets another inside pass and finishes with another dunk. MSU leads 40-24.
Jefferies fires off a three on a Hubbard pass and hits it. MSU leads 43-26.
Smith is starting to get lost in the second half. He gets fouled while finishing the layup. However, he misses his free throw. MSU leads 45-26.
Vanderbilt makes a layup. MSU leads 45-28.
Vanderbilt hits a tough turnaround shot. MSU leads 45-30
Fort hits another three while Vanderbilt is finding their way to the free-throw line. MSU leads 48-32.
Vanderbilt gets sent back to the line and splits their free throws. They score again by finding their way into the paint to make layups. MSU leads 48-35.
State gets sloppy whenever a full-court press is placed on them. They start the half off being under constant pressure and not reacting well to it.
Vanderbilt is cutting into the lead by getting to the free-throw line. MSU leads 48-37.
Vanderbilt turns the ball over leading to an athletic Matthews layup. MSU leads 50-37.
Vanderbilt finds ways to keep hitting tough shots. MSU leads 50-39.
Smith finds Matthews with a give-and-go allowing him to finish at the rim. MSU leads 52-39.
Another tough finish at the rim for Vanderbilt. MSU leads 52-41.
Smith continues to dominate. He gets fouled and finishes his layup but he misses his free throw again. MSU leads 54-41.
Vanderbilt has their head down and is keen on drawing fouls and getting to the line. MSU leads 54-42.
Vanderbilt draws another foul and finishes at the rim but can't complete the one. MSU leads 54-44
Hubbard beats his man in transition and hits a floater off the glass. MSU leads 56-44.
Nothing is coming easy for Vanderbilt hitting the tough shots but Smith returns the favor with an easy one. MSU leads 58-46.
Vanderbilt is back at the free-throw line and splits them. MSU leads 58-47.
A flagrant-one foul on Vanderbilt and Smith takes the shots. He splits them. MSU leads 59-47.
Smith goes back to the line and makes both his free throws. MSU leads 61-47.
Vanderbilt comes down and hits a three. Hubbard pushes the pace in transition and finds Smith who gets sent back to the line. He makes them both. MSU leads 63-50.
Vanderbilt hits another three to close the deficit but with good ball movement, Jeffries hits one of his own. MSU leads 66-53.
Hubbard takes the contact and finishes with a layup. MSU leads 68-53.
Vanderbilt scores a fast break layup to finish the game.
Final: Mississippi State 68, Vanderbilt 55
