Mississippi State
4-5,0-0SEC
San Francisco
6-4,0-0WCC
The Final Horn: San Francisco 65, State 62
December 07, 2025 | Men's Basketball
THE BOTTOM LINE: Mississippi State dropped a 65-62 decision to San Francisco on Sunday afternoon at Cadence Bank Arena in Tupelo. After a slow start offensively for State, the Bulldogs found themselves trailing 30-22 at halftime. In the second half, the Dons' lead stretched to as much as 12 before MSU began to claw back. The Bulldogs used a 7-0 run to cut their deficit to 48-46 with 9:26 remaining. Later, State tied the game at 56-56 on a 3-pointer from Jayden Epps with 4:06 to go in regulation.
In the final stretch of the contest, the Dons scored five points quickly before Epps buried a step-back triple to get State within two once again, 61-59, at the 2:12 mark. After a scoreless next minute and a half, Brandon Walker was fouled inside with 26.2 seconds left and knocked down the first free throw before missing the second. State then scored on a tip-in to take its first lead at 62-61 with 25 ticks left.
The Dons came back down to the other end of the floor and got fouled with nine seconds remaining. They sank both free throws to regain the lead. State was unable to respond down the stretch as the Dons claimed victory.
KEY NUMBERS: Epps led the Bulldogs with 21 points. Ja'Borri McGhee turned in 13 points along with six rebounds and an assist in the effort. As a unit, State's reserves outscored San Francisco by a 29-16 margin, but it wasn't enough for the Dawgs.
NEXT UP FOR THE DAWGS: Mississippi State travels to Salt Lake City, Utah, to take on the Utah Utes in the Salt Lake Showcase on Saturday, Dec. 13. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPNU.
