Mississippi State dominates No. 5 Tennessee, advances to SEC Tournament semifinals for first time since 2010

Nashville, TN. (WCBI)- Despite coming into the game as a 10-point underdog, Mississippi State men’s basketball rolled past No. 5 Tennessee (the top seed in the SEC) 73-56.

Much like Mississippi State’s 77-72 win over No. 5 Tennessee in January in Starkville, the Bulldogs dominated the first half. The Volunteers struggled to get any good looks and shot just 21% from the field. Cam Matthews’ physicality (and 12 first half points) set the tone for MSU’s toughness in the win. His jaw-dropping dunk gave his team some extra momentum.

https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1768697997271896512

The Bulldogs led 38-19 at the break and unlike the first matchup earlier in the season, Mississippi State never really let Tennessee back into it.

With the win, the Bulldogs advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the first time since the 2009-10 season. Mississippi State will play the South Carolina/Auburn winner Saturday at noon on ESPN.