TUPelo, Miss. — RJ Melendez scored a season-best 18 points while Josh Hubbard contributed 16, leading No. 25 Mississippi State to a narrow 66-63 victory against McNeese State in a neutral-site matchup on Saturday.

Melendez sealed the game by hitting two free throws with only nine seconds left in regulation, allowing Mississippi State (9-1) to secure a 66-61 advantage that they would maintain until the final buzzer.

Joe Charles was the standout for McNeese State (5-5), scoring 19 points, with Sincere Parker adding 16. The Cowboys also had contributions of 10 points each from Javohn Garcia and Brandon Murray.

The first half presented difficulties for both teams offensively. McNeese State initially took the upper hand, establishing a 24-16 lead following a Charles three-pointer with three minutes and 42 seconds remaining in the half. However, Mississippi State rallied with back-to-back three-pointers from Hubbard and Claudell Harris, ending the half on a 13-5 run to tie the game at 29.

Key Observations:

For McNeese State, the loss marked the fifth of the season, surpassing the four losses they recorded last year. The Cowboys completed the previous season with an impressive 30-4 record under head coach Will Wade.

Conversely, Mississippi State managed to win despite another lackluster performance. This win followed a close encounter where they narrowly triumphed over Prairie View A&M, finishing 91-84 just days earlier.

A pivotal moment in the game occurred when the Bulldogs were down 58-55 with just over five minutes remaining in the second half. They launched a critical 7-0 run that enabled them to take the lead and secure the win.

A significant statistic from the game revealed that Mississippi State dominated in points off turnovers, outscoring McNeese State 20-5 in this area.

Looking ahead, McNeese State is set to face Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday, December 22, while Mississippi State will square off against Central Michigan on Tuesday in Jackson, Mississippi.