Tigers Denied Late in Close Road Test at Mississippi State

Saturday, December 20

Starkville, Miss.

3:00 PM

University of Memphis

4-7,0-0American

Mississippi State

7-5,0-0SEC

Memphis

Mississippi St.

Tigers Denied Late in Close Road Test at Mississippi State

Dec 20, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Memphis traded blows with Mississippi State for most of the afternoon and briefly moved in front late, but Mississippi State seized control in the final minutes, sending the Tigers to a 71-66 loss at Humphrey Coliseum.

The Tigers (4-7) erased a double-digit first-half deficit and grabbed their first lead midway through the second half, only to be undone by turnovers and empty possessions late. Mississippi State (7-5) closed on a 7-3 run to secure its third straight win.

Curtis Givens III led Memphis with 18 points in his return from a five-game absence due to a thigh injury, scoring 13 after halftime. Aaron Bradshaw added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Ashton Hardaway chipped in 11 points and four boards.

After trailing 34-30 at the break, Memphis opened the second half with renewed energy. Givens' three-point play at the 8:09 mark capped an 8-1 run and gave the Tigers a 53-50 advantage, their first lead of the afternoon. Memphis remained within striking distance down the stretch and pulled within one on another Givens three-pointer with just over two minutes remaining.

Mississippi State answered with timely execution, highlighted by a 6-0 spurt from Shawn Jones Jr. in a span of just over a minute. Jones finished as the Bulldogs' closer, while Jayden Epps paced Mississippi State with 19 points and Josh Hubbard added 17.

Memphis committed three turnovers in the final 1:32 and finished with 18 on the afternoon, limiting its ability to capitalize late. The Tigers shot 37.1 percent from the field and were held to four made field goals over the final eight minutes.

POSTGAME NOTES

Starting Five: Memphis opened with a starting lineup of Dug McDaniel, Ashton Hardaway, Hasan Abdul Hakim, Julius Thedford and Thierno Sylla.
- It marked the Tigers' ninth different starting lineup in 11 games this season.
Shooting: Memphis shot 37.1 percent (23-of-62) from the floor and 29.0 percent from three-point range.
- The Tigers shot 9-of-31 from long distance, their most three-pointers attempted this season.
- Over the previous three games combined, Memphis had made only 10 triples total.
Turnovers: Memphis committed 18 turnovers, which Mississippi State converted into 12 points.
- The Tigers had three turnovers in the final 1:32.
Defense: Memphis held Mississippi State to 44.4 percent shooting (24-of-54) and forced 15 turnovers.
Bench Production: Memphis got 38 points from its bench.
- It marked the sixth game this season with 35+ bench points after the Tigers recorded just one such game over the previous three seasons combined.
Rebounding: Memphis outrebounded Mississippi State 43-35 and pulled down 17 offensive rebounds.
- The Tigers have now recorded nine or more offensive rebounds in 25 consecutive games, the longest active streak in Division I.
- Memphis matched its season high with 22 second-chance points, its fourth game this season with 20 or more.
- The Tigers had only three games with 20+ second-chance points all last season.
Ball Movement: Memphis dished out 11 assists while committing 18 turnovers, tied for the second-most miscues this season.
Curtis Givens III paced the Tigers with 18 points in 23 minutes off the bench after going 3-of-4 from distance in the second half.
It is the second-most points of his career after scoring 20 at Ole Miss in November.
Aaron Bradshaw dropped 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 29 minutes.
It's his third game of the year in double figures, all coming in a five-game span.
Ashton Hardaway added 11 points and four rebounds in 27 minutes.
He matched Givens III for the team high in triples after going 3-of-7.
Dug McDaniel finished with eight points, six rebounds, four steals and three dimes in a team-high 32 minutes.

UP NEXT
Memphis will have little time to regroup, returning home to host Alabama State on Monday night at 7 p.m. inside FedExForum. The game will air on ESPN+. It will be the Tigers' final contest until Jan. 31, when they open American Conference play by hosting North Texas.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS:
For complete information on Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.