STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State men’s basketball rolled to an 82-44 home win over Northwestern State on Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum, lifting the Bulldogs to 2-0 and putting a strong defensive stamp on their opening week in Starkville.
The hosts jumped out with the game’s first 10 points and carried a 49-27 lead into the break. Northwestern State finished 14-of-47 from the floor and 26.7 percent from beyond the arc. Mississippi State recorded seven blocks and four steals and controlled the boards 50-34.
Josh Hubbard paced a deep scoring sheet with 15 points. Grace poured in 12, while Hamilton finished with a 10-point, seven-rebound line. Thomas Bassong added eight points and eight rebounds and swatted three shots early. Twelve Bulldogs scored, and nine reached six or more points as the rotation stretched deep into the second half.
True freshman Willie Burnett III checked in and delivered six points in about four minutes. Grace briefly left after a collision involving teammate Tee Bartlett, who was playing his first college minutes, then returned late and capped the night with a dunk. Mississippi State closed by scoring 11 of the game’s final 12 points.
The Bulldogs try to finish a perfect three-game opening homestand Monday, Nov. 9, when Jackson State visits The Hump for a 6:30 p.m. tip. The matchup is set for Humphrey Coliseum with a stream available on SEC Network+.
Coach Chris Jans’ group used the blowout to test depth after a tighter Monday opener, and the defensive numbers were the clearest sign of progress. Northwestern State, now 0-2, never cut the deficit inside six after the opening burst and spent most of the night chasing double-digit deficits.
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