Mississippi State couldn’t overcome a poor start in its most recent game.South Carolina couldn’t get the final stop it needed in its most recent game.The No. 14 Bulldogs (15-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) and the Gamecocks (10-9, 0-6) each will aim to bounce back following a loss when they meet Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C.Mississippi State shot 22.2 percent in the first half and trailed 34-16 at halftime on its way to a 68-56 loss at No. 6 Tennessee on Tuesday. The Bulldogs closed within seven points early in the second half, but the Volunteers quickly went back up by 10 and held a double-digit lead the rest of the way.The slow start, in which Tennessee scored the game’s first eight points, was a reversal of Mississippi State’s previous game against then-No. 21 Ole Miss on Saturday. In that one, the Bulldogs opened the game with 11 straight points and later prevailed 84-81 in overtime.”They were just ready to go,” Mississippi State coach Chris Jans said of the Volunteers. “They started out just like how we did at home on Saturday. This time, we were unfortunately on the wrong end of the punch.”The Bulldogs delivered plenty of punches when they defeated visiting South Carolina 85-50 in the SEC opener for both teams on Jan. 4. Mississippi State started 2-0 in league play but has since lost three of four games, each against a ranked opponent.Josh Hubbard, who paced the Bulldogs with 14 points against Tennessee, also led the way in the first meeting with the Gamecocks, scoring 21. Mississippi State started that game with a 15-2 run and allowed just 18 first-half points.Hubbard paces the Bulldogs with an average of 16.5 points per game, while KeShawn Murphy averages a team-leading 7.5 rebounds.South Carolina, meanwhile, is still looking for its first conference win. A loss Saturday would drop the Gamecocks to 0-7 in SEC play for the first time.They were poised to break through in their last game, but Florida’s Will Richard scored on a driving layup with 4.8 seconds left to give the No. 5 Gators a 70-69 road win Wednesday night.
