NCAAB

McNeese Cowboys at Mississippi State Bulldogs

· Magnolia Madness
McNeese Cowboys
5-5, 0-1 Away
Final
63 - 66
Mississippi State Bulldogs
9-1, 5-0 Home

Melendez makes 2 late free throws, No. 25 Mississippi State beats McNeese State 66-63

RJ Melendez goes coast to coast off the steal

Melendez made two free throws with nine seconds remaining in regulation to give Mississippi State (9-1) a 66-61 lead that it held on to.

Joe Charles led McNeese State (5-5) with 19 points while Sincere Parker finished with 16. Javohn Garcia and Brandon Murray each added 10 points for the Cowboys.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half. McNeese State initially found more success and took a 24-16 lead after a Charles 3-pointer with 3:42 left in the half. But thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from both Hubbard and Claudell Harris, the Bulldogs closed the half on a 13-5 run and it was tied at 29 at halftime.

Takeaways McNeese State: With the loss, the Cowboys now have more losses (5) this season than they had all of last season. McNeese State finished 30-4 a year ago in its first season under head coach Will Wade.

Mississippi State: For the second straight game, Mississippi State survived a lackluster showing. The Bulldogs barely escaped Prairie View A&M in a 91-84 win on Sunday.

Key moment The Bulldogs trailed 58-55 with 5:29 left in the second half but used a 7-0 run to grab the lead for good.

Key stat The Bulldogs outscored McNeese State 20-5 in points off turnovers.

Up next McNeese State travels to Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday, Dec. 22, and Mississippi State faces Central Michigan on Tuesday in Jackson, Mississippi.

How can I watch McNeese vs. Mississippi State?

  • TV Channel: McNeese at Mississippi State 2021 College Basketball, week 6, is broadcasted on ESPNU.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo Free trial.
    Try Vidgo for free.

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2377.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originMCN https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/344.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originMSST
22-53 FG 19-52
42 Field Goal % 37
9-22 3PT 5-18
41 Three Point % 28
10-17 FT 23-33
59 Free Throw % 70
39 Rebounds 35
11 Offensive Rebounds 11
28 Defensive Rebounds 24
12 Assists 11
5 Steals 11
5 Blocks 1
15 Turnovers 8
1 Team Turnovers 1
15 Total Turnovers 8
0 Technical Fouls 0
0 Total Technical Fouls 0
0 Flagrant Fouls 0
5 Points Off Turnovers 20
5 Fast Break Points 9
24 Points in Paint 28
25 Fouls 13

Game Information

Venue: Cadence Bank Arena

Location: Tupelo, MS
Attendance: 3,846 | Capacity:

2025-26 Southland Conference Standings

TEAM CONF GB OVER
Stephen F. Austin 2-0 - 9-2
Nicholls 2-0 - 3-8
McNeese 3-1 - 10-2
East Texas A&M 1-1 1 6-6
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 1-1 1 5-6
UT Rio Grande Valley 1-1 1 5-6
New Orleans 1-1 1 3-8
Northwestern State 1-1 1 3-8
Incarnate Word 1-2 1.5 6-6
SE Louisiana 1-2 1.5 4-8
Houston Christian 1-3 2 5-7
Lamar 0-2 2 5-6

2025-26 Southeastern Conference Standings

TEAM CONF GB OVER
Vanderbilt 0-0 - 12-0
Georgia 0-0 - 11-1
LSU 0-0 - 11-1
Missouri 0-0 - 10-3
Alabama 0-0 - 9-3
Arkansas 0-0 - 9-3
Oklahoma 0-0 - 9-3
Tennessee 0-0 - 9-3
Texas A&M 0-0 - 9-3
Kentucky 0-0 - 9-4
Texas 0-0 - 9-4
Auburn 0-0 - 8-4
Florida 0-0 - 8-4
South Carolina 0-0 - 8-4
Ole Miss 0-0 - 7-5
Mississippi State 0-0 - 7-5
Full Standings