The Mississippi State Bulldogs lost in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament 75-72 to the Baylor Bears. It was a fun contest as the Bulldogs overcame an 11-point deficit with just over eight minutes remaining in the game. It came down to the wire, but the Bears walked away victorious.
Shortly after the match concluded, Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans threw some shade at the referees while praising his players for “fighting back,” according to Brian Rauf of Heat Check CBB. Jans claimed that, despite fighting back, the “ball or call didn’t go our way.”
“Obviously, disappointed with the results,” Jans said. “Unfortunately, we dug ourselves a pretty big hole there in the [second] half. Knew our kids would continue to fight back. Unfortunately the ball – or the call – didn’t go our way late.”
Mississippi State made it a one-point game after KeShawn Murphy scored a lay-in with 29 seconds on the clock. However, the Bulldogs opted to not foul Baylor right away despite the shot clock no longer being a factor. Eventually, they fouled the Bears’ freshman standout VJ Edgecombe with just over nine seconds remaining in the contest. He hit both free throws, giving his team the 75-72 lead that turned out to be the final score.
Choosing not to foul right away may have been what cost Mississippi State the game. Typically, in those situations, teams will foul their opponents and make it a game of free throws in the final stretch. Instead, Chris Jans allowed his team to play defense and attempt to force a turnover before fouling Edgecombe.
Mississippi State had a chance to tie the game but ultimately Claudell Harris Jr. air-balled his three-point attempt to tie the game. Although they lost in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, this was Mississippi State’s third consecutive appearance at the big dance with Jans as head coach.
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