The No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats pulled off a stunning comeback against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Tuesday night, thanks to a heroic performance by freshman Reed Sheppard. Sheppard scored a career-high 32 points, including the game-winning basket with two-tenths of a second left, to give the Wildcats a 91-89 victory at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville.
Kentucky trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half, and was down 43-35 at halftime. The Wildcats shot 61% from the field in the second half, and outscored the Bulldogs 56-46 in the final 20 minutes. Sheppard scored 23 of his 32 points in the second half, and made 8 of 10 shots from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line.
The game was tied at 89-89 with 10 seconds remaining, after Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard hit a three-pointer. Sheppard quickly inbounded the ball, and got it back from D.J. Wagner. He then drove to the basket and floated a 15-foot shot over the outstretched arms of the defenders, as the buzzer sounded and the Kentucky bench erupted in celebration.
Sheppard leads four Wildcats in double figures
Sheppard was not the only Kentucky player who had a big night. Antonio Reeves scored 21 points, Adou Thiero added 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Wagner chipped in 10 points and six assists. The Wildcats improved to 20-8 overall and 10-5 in the SEC, and swept the season series against Mississippi State for the fourth straight year.
Kentucky coach John Calipari praised Sheppard’s performance, and said he was proud of his team’s resilience. “Reed was unbelievable. He made big shots, big plays, big free throws. He’s a special player, and he showed it tonight,” Calipari said. “But I’m also happy for the whole team. They fought back, they didn’t give up, they stayed together. This was a tough game, and they found a way to win.”
Hubbard’s 34 points not enough for Mississippi State
Mississippi State had a chance to pull off an upset, and snap a seven-game losing streak against Kentucky. The Bulldogs led for most of the game, and had a balanced attack. Hubbard scored a game-high 34 points, and made 7 of 11 three-pointers. Cameron Matthews had 16 points and eight rebounds, Tolu Smith III had 10 points and nine rebounds, and Iverson Molinar had nine points and seven assists.
However, the Bulldogs could not stop Kentucky’s offense in the second half, and missed some crucial free throws down the stretch. Mississippi State shot 52% from the field, 44% from the three-point line, and 71% from the free-throw line. The Bulldogs fell to 18-8 overall and 7-6 in the SEC, and will face Alabama on Saturday.
Kentucky moves up in SEC standings, Mississippi State falls behind
The win moved Kentucky up to fourth place in the SEC standings, behind Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina. The Wildcats have one more regular-season game against Arkansas on Saturday, before heading to the SEC tournament in Nashville. Kentucky is aiming for its 32nd SEC tournament title, and its ninth under Calipari.
Mississippi State dropped to eighth place in the SEC standings, behind Ole Miss and Texas A&M. The Bulldogs have two more regular-season games against Alabama and LSU, before the SEC tournament. Mississippi State is looking for its first SEC tournament title since 2009, and its third overall.
