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Ja'Borri McGhee's career-high 29 points helps State rally past Utah, 82-74

Paul Jones Mississippi State Bulldogsby: Paul Jones5 hours agoPaulJonesOn3

Ja’Borri McGhee had a career-high 29 points to help Mississippi State rally for an 82-72 win over Utah in Salt Lake City on Saturday. The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 17 earlier in the game, marking the largest comeback win for head coach Chris Jans in his Mississippi State tenure.

McGhee was 11 of 16 from the floor and 5 of 7 from 3 point range. Jayden Epps added 20 points for the Bulldogs (5-5) while Josh Hubbard added 13 points.

“Everyone that follows us, we just weren’t playing very well,” Jans said afterwards. “But we had spirited huddles (in the second half) and we had great energy in practice yesterday. I thought we were flat and when you play at that altitude, it makes a difference.

“The compete part was making me upset and we had some spirited timeouts. For whatever reason, we got a break or two and the ball bounced our way. The confidence came back and they were playing harder and competed more and they figured out way. We probably played more zone than I’ve ever played but they did a pretty good job in it.”

In the second half, the Bulldogs used an 18-2 run and took a 60-56 lead following a McGhee layup with 9:24 remaining in the game. Utah managed to regain a 70-67 lead but Mississippi State used a 13-4 run to take the lead for good. The Bulldogs also held Utah without a field goal in the final 6:07 of the game.

“We ran a lot of stuff for (McGhee),” added Jans. “It just so happens he was sick and had been sick for a couple of days and some body soreness. He wasn’t participating in full possessions in practice and even in shoot around. Certainly, he played a big part and the guys were messing with him calling it his flu game.

“We also started turning them over and we finally scored off our defense. I felt like we got more hands on basketballs and finally had some run-outs. That really helped our offense.”

For the game, State shot 51% from the field and made 10 of 25 beyond the 3 point arc. The Bulldogs were 6 of 9 at the foul line and had eight turnovers on the night. State also dominated the paint and outscored Utes, 46-26, in points in the paint.

Don McHenry led Utah (7-4) with 20 points while Terrance Brown added 29. The Utes shot 45% from the floor and made 8 of 23 from 3 point territory. The Utes made 18 of 24 at the foul line, had 14 turnovers and held a slight 34-33 rebounding advantage.

The Bulldogs faced that 17-point deficit, 40-23, late in the first half and it appeared the Utes were headed to an easy win. But State managed to chip away at that deficit the rest of the half and trailed 42-32 at halftime.

“We needed it,” Jans noted. “It didn’t feel great in the first half. Hopefully, this is something when you get a big win on the road and it is a comeback variety, it can bond you a little bit better. We got two more games before the break and they are both at home. So we are going to look forward to playing at home, that’s for sure.”

Up Next

The Bulldogs return to Humphrey Coliseum for a pair of games next week, starting with Long Island on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off. Long Island is 6-4 on the season after defeating LaSalle at home on Saturday. Their losses this season are to Notre Dame, Fordham, Illinois and Winthrop. State closes out next week’s action by hosting Memphis on Saturday.

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