The LSU mens basketball team went to Starkville seeking its first conference road win of the season, but one of the best players in the SEC would not allow it to happen. Six-foot-eleven Arnett Moultrie had 28 points and 12 rebounds in a Mississippi State 76-71 victory over the Tigers. Nineteen of those points came in the second half. It’s also his 12th double-double of his season.

This game was decided on the glass as State out rebounded LSU 40-23, 15 of the rebounds for the Bulldogs were on the offensive end.

The loss drops the Tigers to 12-and-8 overall, 2-and-4 in the SEC, with all four of the losses coming on the road. 18th ranked Mississippi State is 17-and-4 overall, 4-and-2 in the league.

LSU got a good game from sophomore guard Andre Stringer. Coach Trent Johnson didn’t start the Mississippi native and hoped he would be more relaxed coming off the bench. That strategy paid off as he led LSU with 17 points.

Freshman point guard Anthony Hickey added 16 points. Hickey hit three, three pointers, in the final 1:07 to give LSU a chance to rally from a 10-point deficit with about three minutes left. LSU actually had the ball with 13 seconds left down by three, but Hickey turned it over and the Tigers ended up losing by five.

Mississippi State led LSU 32-31 at halftime, even though the Tigers led for most of the first half. Stringer had seven points to lead the way for LSU, while Hickey and Justin Hamilton each had five points. Hamilton gave the Tigers their biggest lead of the game, with a put back dunk with 9:35 left in the first half. At that point the Tigers led 18-11.

Mississippi State was able to grab the lead before halftime thanks to the hot-shooting of Jalen Steele. The sophomore from Knoxville, Tennessee hit two three-pointers and a couple free throws in the final four minutes of the first half. Steele finished the first 20 minutes of the game with a ten points and had 15 for the game. 

It doesn’t get any easier for the Tigers, who host top ranked Kentucky on Saturday afternoon.