Starkville - The Mississippi State faithful packed The Hump for the #21 Bulldogs' SEC opener against #8 Alabama, but the Crimson Tide spoiled the night by cruising to a 78-67 win.
The Crimson Tide defense just outmatched the Bulldogs. The impressive length of Charles Bediako and Noah Clowney gave them fits inside as they converted only 7-18 of its layups.
Mississippi State big man Tolu Smith - the team's leading scorer at 15.8 points per game - struggled mightily, scoring a season-low five points on 1-7 from the floor.
While Smith struggled around the rim, what was more apparent was his disappointing night from the charity stripe. The 6'11" senior shot a poor 3-15 from the free throw line, and the team combined to shoot just 18-36. Smith hadn't been an awful free throw shooter this season - entering conference play at 60.5% - but his 20% performance Wednesday could have been the difference in the game.
Projected lottery pick Brandon Miller was as advertised for the Tide. The 6'9" wing scored 19 points and hauled in 11 rebounds. The freshman showcased his shooting ability hitting 5-10 from deep, but he wasn't the only Alabama newcomer to torch the Bulldogs from three.
Ohio transfer Mark Sears - who Mississippi State had also extended an offer to in the transfer portal - led the team with 20 points on the night and shot 4-8 from beyond the arc.
Despite the struggles on the interior and the dynamic Alabama offense, the Bulldogs were still able to make it a close game at halftime as D.J. Jeffries drained a contested three at the buzzer to cut it to 33-30.
Jeffries was active on the glass grabbing 15 rebounds and scored a team high 11 points while backup center Will McNair added ten, but the lock of production from the Bulldog guards gave Alabama a huge advantage in the backcourt.
Mississippi State salvaged its interior and free-throw line struggles, hitting 7-15 three-pointers in the first half. Redshirt freshman Keyshawn Murphy continues to flash his shooting stroke hitting three of those three-pointers, but their shooting luck ran out in the 2nd half as they shot just 2-9, allowing the Tide to run away with an easy victory.