2024-01-11 02:12:39
STARKVILLE — It was a slugfest inside Humphrey Coliseum on Wednesday, as was expected in a matchup of Mississippi State basketball against Tennessee.
It was the type of game where shot clock violations drew louder reactions than made buckets, where fouls started to stack up yet it felt as though the referees were letting them play and where two of the nation’s best defensive teams tried to prove one was tougher than the other. It was Chris Jans against Rick Barnes in its peak form.
However, MSU had something Tennessee didn’t − forward Tolu Smith. Behind his 23 points, including three crucial ones in the final 15 seconds, Mississippi State (12, 1-1 SEC) picked up a 77-72 Quadrant 1 victory against Tennessee (11-4, 1-1), the nation’s No. 5 team.
The victory marked MSU’s first home win against a top five team in the AP poll since Feb. 2002 (Alabama) and the first such win overall since Dec. 2002 (Oklahoma).
Mississippi State sets defensive tone in first half
Entering the contest, KenPom rated Tennessee as the nation’s second-best defensive team in terms of adjusted efficiency. However, it was Mississippi State – which ranked 10th − putting Tennessee through the grinder early.
The Vols shot just 33% from the field in the opening period, including 15% from 3-point range. Zakai Zeigler accounted for 10 of Tennessee’s 22 first-half points, though he had a plus-minus of minus-15 despite making four of five field goals.
The 22 points were the lowest output for Tennessee in a first half this season. While it’s not a mark as strong as its defense, Tennessee’s adjusted offensive efficiency still ranked No. 24 before the game.
Tolu Smith returns to starting lineup
After an offseason injury, Smith missed MSU’s first 12 games. In his two games back against Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina, he came off the bench.
He was back in the starting lineup against the Vols and appeared to be back in full form. Smith played 29 minutes, including 15 in the first half after averaging 19.5 per game this season.
Smith – who combined for 20 points in two games against UT last season − scored 12 of his points in the opening period. Entering the contest, his 16 points against Bethune-Cookman were a season best.
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What’s next on Mississippi State’s schedule?
MSU’s schedule doesn’t ease up much with Alabama coming to Starkville on Saturday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network). Mississippi State is then back on the road to face No. 6 Kentucky on Jan. 17 (6 p.m., ESPN2).
The Bulldogs lost all three contests against the Tide last season and their lone meeting against the Wildcats.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
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