Mississippi State Shocks Tennessee in SEC Showdown

In a stunning turn of events at the SEC tournament in Nashville, the ninth-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs pulled off a massive upset, dominating the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers 73-56 in the quarterfinal round. This victory should cement the Bulldogs’ place in the NCAA tournament field, while dealing a significant blow to Tennessee’s hopes of securing a coveted No. 1 seed.

The Bulldogs, who had lost their last four regular season games, came out firing on all cylinders against the SEC’s top seed. Cameron Matthews and Josh Hubbard led the way for Mississippi State, each scoring 18 points in a balanced offensive effort that saw the underdogs never trail after the game was tied at 2-2 early on.

“Our guys just played with tremendous energy and confidence today,” said Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans. “We knew we had to bring our ‘A’ game against a team as talented as Tennessee, and our players executed the game plan to perfection.”

While the Bulldogs were clicking offensively, their defense deserves equal credit for the resounding win. Mississippi State held Tennessee’s star guard Dalton Knecht, the AP SEC Player of the Year, to just 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting. Knecht, who had torched opponents for 25.5 points per game in conference play, struggled to find his rhythm against the swarming Bulldogs defense.

“Give credit to Mississippi State, they played a great game and took us out of our element,” said a dejected Knecht after the loss. “We’ll have to regroup and get ready for the NCAA tournament.”

For Tennessee, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow, as their hopes of securing the program’s first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament took a significant hit. The Volunteers, who won the SEC tournament title in 2022, now find themselves on the wrong end of an early exit for the second straight year.

While Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler poured in a game-high 20 points, and Jahmai Mashack added 10, the Vols struggled mightily from the field, shooting just 39% as a team. Mississippi State, on the other hand, was red-hot, knocking down an impressive 62.5% of their shots, including several backbreaking three-pointers that kept the Volunteers at bay.

With the victory, Mississippi State advances to the SEC tournament semifinals for the first time since their championship run in 2009. They will face the winner of the South Carolina-Auburn matchup on Saturday, with a trip to the tournament final on the line.

For the Bulldogs, who seemed squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble just days ago, this statement win over Tennessee should solidify their place in the Big Dance. And if they can carry this momentum into the NCAA tournament, Mississippi State could very well be a dangerous out for whoever they face.

As for Tennessee, the path to a No. 1 seed just got significantly more difficult. While the Volunteers are still