GAMEDAY Mens Basketball
Mississippi State 69, Jackson State 59
(AP Photo/HG Biggs)
By ROBBIE FAULK
Associated Pess
JACKSON, Miss. - DJ Jeffries scored 15 points to lead four players in double figures as No. 17 Mississippi State overcame some struggles and beat Jackson State 69-59.
Tolu Smith and Eric Reed had 13 points and Keyshawn Murphy added 10 to lead the Bulldogs (10-0).
Coltie Young, the Starkville native who attended Starkville High School, scored 23 points to lead the Tigers (1-9) against his hometown team. He shot 8 for 13 from the field, including 7 for 11 on 3-pointers.
The Tigers became the first team this season to score more than 55 points against the Bulldogs, who have the nation's No. 1 scoring defense.
Jackson State led by 10 in the first half after Mississippi State got off to a sluggish start. The Bulldogs regained the lead and went up by 10 before taking a 31-26 lead at halftime.
Jackson State made it a back-and-forth affair most of the second half before Mississippi State regained the lead for good. After the Tigers took a 53-52 lead with 8 minutes left in the game, the Bulldogs finished with a 17-5 scoring edge.
THE BIG PICTURE
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs escaped a near disaster by finding a way to win. It was a game the Bulldogs didn't play well, but the top-20 team found a way and remained undefeated.
Jackson State: It was one of the best showings of the season for the Tigers who have played a relatively difficult schedule. JSU was in position but just couldn't hold on.
December 14, 2022
| Jackson State | ||||||||||||
| Player | Pos | Min | FG-FGA | FT-FTA | 3P-3PA | OR-TR | Ast | Blk | Stl | TO | PF | Pts |
| R. Mansel | F | 28 | 5-7 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
| T. Young | F | 26 | 2-8 | 0-0 | 0-4 | 0-3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Z. Cook | F | 19 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| K. Evans Jr. | G | 31 | 3-11 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 2-6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
| C. Young | G | 31 | 8-13 | 0-0 | 7-11 | 2-5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 23 |
| J. Jones | 23 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| K. Hunt | 20 | 2-3 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | |
| C. Adams | 13 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| T. Johnson | 8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Totals | 199 | 23-50 (.460) |
6-11 (.545) |
7-18 (.389) |
11-31 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 20 | 15 | 59 | |
| Mississippi State | ||||||||||||
| Player | Pos | Min | FG-FGA | FT-FTA | 3P-3PA | OR-TR | Ast | Blk | Stl | TO | PF | Pts |
| D. Jeffries | F | 35 | 5-13 | 4-5 | 1-7 | 2-5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
| T. Smith | F | 31 | 4-5 | 5-7 | 0-0 | 2-5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| C. Matthews | F | 28 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-3 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| E. Reed Jr. | G | 28 | 5-10 | 0-1 | 3-7 | 2-2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| D. Davis | G | 24 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 1-4 | 0-1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| S. Moore | 15 | 1-4 | 2-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |
| K. Murphy | 12 | 3-4 | 2-2 | 2-3 | 1-3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | |
| W. McNair Jr. | 10 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| J. Horton Jr. | 9 | 1-4 | 2-3 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| T. Stevenson | 8 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 200 | 23-49 (.469) |
15-20 (.750) |
8-26 (.308) |
9-24 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 69 | |
