STARKVILLE, Mississippi — In an exciting matchup on Wednesday night, Chris Youngblood delivered a standout performance with a season-high of 23 points, guiding No. 4 Alabama to a thrilling 88-84 victory over No. 14 Mississippi State.

Youngblood showcased his shooting skills by sinking a career-best seven three-pointers, contributing to Alabama’s impressive tally of 15 three-pointers out of 31 attempts.

Mark Sears added 17 points for the Crimson Tide (18-3, 7-1 in the Southeastern Conference), while Grant Nelson contributed 15 points.

On the other side, Mississippi State (16-5, 4-4) saw Josh Hubbard shine with a career-high 38 points, including six three-pointers, as KeShawn Murphy chipped in with 18 points.

In the final moments of the game, Mississippi State had a chance to take the lead, but Murphy missed a layup with 13 seconds on the clock. Adding to the drama, Alabama had a missed opportunity at the free-throw line, hitting only three of their attempts in the last 24 seconds, which kept the door open for Mississippi State.

The game started in favor of Mississippi State, who quickly went up 11-5, thanks to a pair of three-pointers from Hubbard. Nevertheless, Alabama began to find their shooting rhythm from beyond the arc, launching an 8-0 run to pull ahead 35-27 with just over five minutes left in the first half.

By halftime, Alabama held a slim lead of 44-39.

Key Insights:

For Alabama, this victory marks their fourth consecutive win in SEC road games this season. Meanwhile, Mississippi State’s head coach Chris Jans is still searching for his first win against Alabama, remaining winless in six attempts since taking over the Bulldogs’ program three years ago.

Looking ahead, Alabama will be on their home court to face Georgia this Saturday, while Mississippi State will host Missouri the same day.