Riley Kugel scores 19 points as Mississippi State defeats No. 21 Memphis 79-66
Mississippi State guard Riley Kugel (2) drives against the defense of Memphis forward Nicholas Jourdain (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. Credit: AP/Nikki Boertman
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Riley Kugel scored 19 points and KeShawn Murphy added 13 points and nine rebounds to lead Mississippi State past No. 21 Memphis 79-66 on Saturday.
Josh Hubbard also had 13 points and Cameron Matthews added 12 points and six assists as the Bulldogs (11-1) built an early 20-point lead and were never really threatened in winning their fifth straight.
PJ Haggerty led Memphis (9-3) with 24 points and Tyrese Hunter finished with 19.
The Mississippi State defense caused a 36% shooting day for the Tigers, including 8 of 27 from outside the arc. Memphis also added 18 turnovers.
Takeaways
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs were just outside the Top 25 in this week's poll. They should move back into the rankings after this victory.
Memphis: The Tigers can't seem to enjoy success. They dropped out of the polls after a loss to Arkansas State earlier this month. Wins at Clemson and Virginia got them back in the rankings, but the loss to the Bulldogs came with another uninspired effort.
Key moment
The Bulldog defense caused problems for Memphis. The Tigers threw the ball away and were shooting under 30% for most of the first half, making only one of their first seven shots from outside the arc. That contributed to a 13-0 Bulldogs run and a lead that stretched to 20 points before halftime.
Mississippi State forward Cameron Matthews (4) defends Memphis guard Colby Rogers (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. Credit: AP/Nikki Boertman
Key stat
Mississippi State, which shoots 34% from outside the arc for the season, was 9 of 18 from distance in the first half.
Up next
Mississippi State hosts Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 30 and Memphis entertains No. 17 Ole Miss on Dec. 28.