Mississippi State tops LSU 70-60, likely punches ticket to NCAA Tournament

Nashville, TN (WCBI)- Mississippi State likely locked up a spot in the NCAA Tournament by defeating LSU 70-60 in the second round of the SEC Tournament.

The first half was a sloppy one for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs shot 29% from the field, 53% from the free throw line, were outrebounded 23-13 and the Tigers ended the half on a 21-9 run in the final 12:07. MSU trailed LSU 29-22 at the break.

Chris Jans’ crew flipped a switch in the second half and looked like a completely different team. The Bulldogs dominated the glass and shot it way better (50%). Josh Hubbard took over in the final minutes and scored 20+ points (he finished Thursday’s game with 24) for the sixth straight game.

The Bulldogs improve to 20-12 with the victory and will face No. 1 Tennessee in the quarterfinals on Friday at noon.