Mississippi State beats Akron 73-54 in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA -- — Tolu Smith had 26 points and eight rebounds, D.J. Jeffries added 15 points and Mississippi State beat Akron 73-54 on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center, home of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.
Smith was 11 of 13 from the field and 4 of 6 at the stripe, nearly missing his career high of 27 points. Shakeel Moore had six points, six rebounds and four steals for Mississippi State (2-0), which was participating in the Barstool Invitational.
Mississippi State led 35-27 at halftime. Akron took a 39-38 lead after opening the second half on a 12-3 run, but the Bulldogs scored 21 of the next 26 points to go ahead by double-digits for good at 59-44.
Xavier Castaneda had 20 points and six assists for Akron (1-1). Enrique Freeman, the reigning MAC defensive play of the year, added nine points.
On Monday, Mississippi State overcame an early 12-point deficit en route to a 63-44 season-opening rout of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, a NCAA Tournament team from a season ago. The Bulldogs face Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a Sunday
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Alfred Smith
- Tim Stewart
- Brad Clauss
2022-23 Southeastern Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 8-0 | - | 18-3 |
| Tennessee | 7-1 | 1 | 18-3 |
| Texas A&M | 7-1 | 1 | 15-6 |
| Auburn | 6-2 | 2 | 16-5 |
| Kentucky | 5-3 | 3 | 14-7 |
| Florida | 5-3 | 3 | 12-9 |
| Missouri | 4-4 | 4 | 16-5 |
| Georgia | 4-4 | 4 | 14-7 |
| Arkansas | 3-5 | 5 | 14-7 |
| Vanderbilt | 3-5 | 5 | 10-11 |
| Mississippi State | 1-7 | 7 | 13-8 |
| LSU | 1-7 | 7 | 12-9 |
| Ole Miss | 1-7 | 7 | 9-12 |
| South Carolina | 1-7 | 7 | 8-13 |
2022-23 Mid-American Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent State | 7-1 | - | 17-4 |
| Akron | 7-1 | - | 15-6 |
| Toledo | 6-2 | 1 | 15-6 |
| Ball State | 5-3 | 2 | 14-7 |
| Buffalo | 4-4 | 3 | 10-11 |
| Bowling Green | 4-4 | 3 | 10-11 |
| Northern Illinois | 4-4 | 3 | 8-13 |
| Ohio | 3-5 | 4 | 11-10 |
| Central Michigan | 3-5 | 4 | 8-13 |
| Western Michigan | 2-6 | 5 | 6-15 |
| Eastern Michigan | 2-6 | 5 | 5-16 |
| Miami (OH) | 1-7 | 6 | 7-14 |
Men's College Basketball News
