Mississippi State basketball's 3-point shooting woes kill chance of upset at No. 22 Auburn
Mississippi State basketball guard Eric Reed Jr. rose up for a 3-pointer with a chance to make it a one-possession game against No. 22 Auburn in the second half. He airballed, but MSU's D.J. Jeffries was perfectly positioned under the rim for a rebound.
With the shot clock running low, Jeffries quickly ran outside the paint and turned around to put up a mid-range shot. He missed but got his own rebound and attempted an open 3-pointer.
He missed again, and finally Auburn got the rebound. The Tigers pushed in transition, and guard Allen Flanigan threw down an emphatic one-handed dunk to get the uneasy Neville Arena crowd back into the game.
It summarized another near-upset that turned into an agonizing 69-63 loss for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (12-5, 1-4) treaded all night – never trailing by more than 13. But with their shooting woes, they could never land a substantial punch against Auburn (14-3, 4-1 SEC).
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Mississippi State had a chance to snap Auburn’s 27-game home winning streak. Instead, the Bulldogs head back to Starkville still searching for an SEC road victory.
Auburn 3s vs. MSU turnovers
Of the glaring offensive issues for the Bulldogs this season, turnovers haven't been a major concern. MSU averaged 12.2 turnovers per game entering the game − a mark that was surpassed in the first half.
Mississippi State turned the ball over 16 times, which made for a poor recipe when mixed with a 0-18 clip on 3-point shots. All 22 of MSU's points in the first half came in the paint. The Bulldogs attempted no free throws in the opening half.
While the Tigers had 20 turnovers, they made up for it from deep. Auburn made four of its first seven 3-pointers and finished 11-25. Jaylin Williams accounted for five of those en route to 21 points.
Tolu Smith returns to form
The play of forward Tolu Smith was a key component to MSU's early-season success. He averaged 16.2 points per game through the team's 11-0 start and scored in double figures in all but two nonconference games.
However, as the Bulldogs have struggled shooting, SEC foes have packed the paint to slow down Smith. In the five games before Saturday's, Smith scored in double figures just once.
He returned to form against the Tigers, recording 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Free throw advice
Mississippi State entered the game shooting 59.9% from the free throw line − fifth worst among 363 teams in the nation. Coach Chris Jans received advice via texts, emails and calls. Students, professors and donors have been among those reaching out, according to the SEC Network broadcast.
Whatever they offered may have helped. MSU shot 21-28 (75%) from the charity stripe.
Jamel Horton Jr. leaves program
An hour before tipoff, an MSU spokesperson told the Clarion Ledger that guard Jamel Horton Jr. left the team earlier this week and was no longer with the program. Horton, who started three games in place of an injured Dashawn Davis in November, didn't travel with the team this week to Georgia and Auburn.
He appeared in 13 games for the Bulldogs and averaged 1.5 points. He has no eligibility remaining.
What's next?
Mississippi State returns home Tuesday (6 p.m., ESPN2) to take on No. 5 Tennessee (14-3, 4-1). The Vols beat the Bulldogs 87-53 in Knoxville on Jan. 3.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State basketball shooting woes kill upset hopes at Auburn
