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Mississippi State Men’s Basketball’s Comeback Bid Falls Short Against Florida Gators

The Bulldogs took Florida to the final minute today, but they simply couldn’t overcome a sloppy first half to get the win.

NCAA Basketball: Florida at Mississippi State Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

The Bulldogs hosted the 15th ranked Florida Gators yesterday and things did not start well for Mississippi State. MSU only scored 24 points in the first half while Florida scored 32, carrying an 8 point lead to the second half.

Ben Howland’s team didn’t give up, however. They pushed their way back into the game. But every time the Bulldogs closed the gap a bit, Florida found a way to answer shortly after.

But MSU would continue to rally, especially towards the end of the game. The Bulldogs were down by 12 points with 12 minutes to go in the game. Thanks to their defense, some perfectly hit 3 pointers, and drawn fouls and free throws, State was able to erase that deficit entirely.

The Bulldogs had the game tied at 52-52 with roughly two minutes left in the game and it looked as though they might actually be able to complete the comeback and close out the game.

As it turns out, they’d be unable to. Although they were able to push a top SEC opponent, the Mississippi State Bulldogs could not overcome a rough first half where they were 11 for 33 from the field.

Mississippi State’s losing streak unfortunately continued and the Bulldogs are now 14-12 on the season. They’ll look to end that streak by hosting Ole Miss on Tuesday.