Hubbard's 16 points help No. 22 Mississippi State hold off Georgia, 76-75, to end 2-game skid
Georgia forward Asa Newell (14), Mississippi State forward KeShawn Murphy (3), Mississippi State center Gai Chol (34) and Georgia center Somto Cyril (6) reach to rebound the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Athens, Ga. Credit: AP/Kathryn Skeean
ATHENS, Ga. — Josh Hubbard scored 16 points and No. 22 Mississippi State held off Georgia 76-75 on Saturday night to end a two-game losing streak.
In the matchup of the Southeastern Conference's two versions of Bulldogs, Mississippi State (17-6, 5-5 SEC) survived Georgia's second-half comeback.
Silas Demary Jr., who led Georgia with 23 points, sank two free throws with 8 seconds remaining to cut Mississippi State's lead to 76-75. A last-second steal by Mississippi State's Claudell Harris Jr. helped protect the one-point advantage.
Georgia (16-8, 4-7) fell to 13-2 at home. No. 1 Auburn beat the Bulldogs in Athens 70-68 on Jan. 18.
Georgia pulled even for the third time of the second half, at 71, on a 3-pointer by Asa Newell.
Takeaways
Mississippi State: An overwhelming 32-5 advantage in bench scoring, bolstered by a 46-28 edge in points in the paint, helped Mississippi State survive.
Georgia: G Tyrin Lawrence was helped off the court midway through the first half and was escorted to the locker room with an apparent right leg injury. Lawrence, a part-time starter, was hurt while attempting a steal and did not return.
Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard (12) celebrates during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Georgia, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Athens, Ga. Credit: AP/Kathryn Skeean
Key moment
The visiting Bulldogs' full-court pressure defense forced a turnover, which set up a jam by Riley Kugel. The basket was the key play in a 7-0 run that helped Mississippi State extend its lead to 34-25, its biggest advantage of the first half.
Key stat
Mississippi State led 40-32 at halftime despite making only 3 of 9 free throws in the half and 6 of 18 for the game.
Up next
Each team's next game is on Tuesday night. Mississippi State returns to Starkville, Miss., to play No. 6 Florida while Georgia plays at No. 10 Texas A&M.
