A dialed-up pace, gritty defense and effective shooting have propelled Mississippi State to a 2-0 start.
The Bulldogs tout a program record, to boot. As a Tuesday visit from Southeastern Louisiana looms, Mississippi State has scored at least 95 points in consecutive games to begin the season for the first time in school history.
Five Bulldogs scored in double figures during a 101-66 rout of Georgia State on Friday. In that contest, three players made their first career starts for Mississippi State, which is growing in a new philosophy under third-year coach Chris Jans.
“I want our team to play and get great shots and put pressure on the defense and score early when we can,” Jans said. “But on the other end, if we don’t turn them over, I want them to have to go all the way to the shot=clock (buzzer) and work for open looks.
“The difference in length of possessions offensively and defensively is way more important to me than when people talk about what our pace is.”
The Bulldogs drilled 10 3-pointers against Georgia State while boasting a 54-24 scoring edge in the paint.
Josh Hubbard scored a team-high 15 points and Riley Kugel followed with 14. Hubbard, who shot 3-for-6 from long range, has made at least one 3-pointer in 15 straight games.
Tuesday marks the second game of a 10-game road trip for Southeastern Louisiana.
A 14-0 run in the first half at UAB on Sunday helped the Lions take a 10-point lead, but they couldn’t hold the momentum. The Blazers responded with a 12-1 run to close the half en route to a 82-72 victory.
Jakevion Buckley sparked Southeastern Louisiana (1-1) with 16 points and freshman Jeremy Elyzee posted his first career double-double, contributing 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Lions blasted visiting William Carey, an NAIA school, 91-53 on Nov. 4 but aren’t set to return home until Dec. 20 against Loyola New Orleans.
“This is what we want,” Southeastern Louisiana coach David Kiefer said. “If we are trying (to) beat the best, we have to go on the road.”
Mississippi State leads the all-time series 18-1. The schools haven’t met since December 2013, when the Bulldogs earned a 68-62 victory in Tupelo, Miss.
