Hubbard and Harris combine for 46 points, hit 6 3s each; Mississippi State beats West Georgia 95-60

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Shawn Jones Jr. dunks one off the backboard

Mississippi State's Shawn Jones Jr. skies out of the gym to catch this lob off the backboard for a dunk.

Nov 5, 2024, 04:04 am

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- — Josh Hubbard scored 26 points and Claudell Harris Jr. added 20 Monday night to help Mississippi State beat West Georgia 95-60 in the season opener for both teams.

Hubbard — and All-Southeastern Conference second-team selection — and Harris each hit six of Mississippi State's 14 3-pointers. The Bulldogs made 36 of 65 (55%) from the field, shot 47% from behind the arc and scored 31 points off 20 West Georgia turnovers.

Kanye Clary stole a pass and then fed KeShawn Murphy for a dunk 13 seconds into the game that made it 2-0 and Mississippi State never trailed. Hubbard hit two 3-pointers in a 12-2 run capped when he threw down a dunk that made it 14-4.

Tamaury Releford scored the final nine points in a 12-0 spurt that trimmed West Georgia's deficit to 24-21 about five minutes later but Harris made four 3-pointers — the last coming with 3 seconds left — to give the Bulldogs an 11-point halftime lead.

Shelton Williams-Dryden scored in the paint to open the scoring in the second half and make it 40-31 but Hubbard answered with a 3-pointer with and Mississippi State led by double figures the rest of the way.

Releford led the Wolves with 16 points and Kolten Griffin scored 13. Williams-Dryden finished with 10 rebounds to go with nine points.

Harris, who transferred from Boston College after two seasons at Charleston Southern, came into this season with 1,318 career points.

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