Auburn will aim to halt a four-game losing streak Wednesday night when it travels to Starkville for another pivotal matchup against Mississippi State.
“We’ve shown what we’re capable of doing,” said Auburn head coach Steven Pearl. “That’s where my belief comes from – knowing that our guys are capable when they’re at their best to go win the games.”
After four consecutive Quad I matchups, Auburn will take on a Mississippi State squad that sits as a Quad II opponent. The Bulldogs sit one game behind Auburn in the league standings with a 4-8 conference record, but just defeated Ole Miss 90-78 in its last outing.
Auburn must contend with the SEC’s most prolific scorer in Josh Hubbard, who averages 21.4 points per game and 28.8 ppg in the Bulldogs’ four conference wins.
“Probably the best scoring point guard in our league,” Pearl said of Hubbard. “He’s probably licking his chops right now after some of the performances some of the guards have had against us as of late. Our guys have to really step up and be excited about that matchup. Another great test on the road.”
Hubbard poured in 32 points on 12-of-16 shooting with six assists in Mississippi State’s last outing, where he became the program’s all-time leader in 3-pointers with 284.
“Play hard, take away their best scorer, and hopefully come out with this win because we need it,” Auburn’s Elyjah Freeman said.
Auburn big man KeShawn Murphy returns to Starkville after a three-year stint with the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-10 senior is coming off a career-high 22 points at Arkansas and added 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season, all of which have come in SEC games.
“He put a lot of time and effort into that program,” Pearl said. “It was important for him to get his diploma from there because he has a lot of love for that place. I know he’s excited about the opportunity to go back and compete against some former teammates. I’m sure there will be some hostilities there, but he’s excited about it.”
Auburn’s leading scorer Keyshawn Hall was not listed on the team's availability report on Tuesday, meaning he could return after missing the last game for a disciplinary suspension. His return could pair nicely with point guard Tahaad Pettiford, who is averaging 25 points and six assists in the Tigers’ last three outings.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN2 at Humphrey Coliseum.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated about Hall's availability.
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