The 2026 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament tipped off with all the drama and intensity fans have come to expect from this storied conference, and the clash between No. 12 Auburn and No. 13 Mississippi State at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena was no exception. With NCAA Tournament hopes hanging in the balance, Auburn surged in the second half to secure a 79-61 victory, eliminating Mississippi State and setting up a high-stakes matchup against Tennessee in the next round.
For Mississippi State, the loss almost certainly marked the end of their 2025-26 campaign, capping a season filled with ups and downs. Junior guard Josh Hubbard, the Bulldogs’ offensive engine all year, once again led the way with 22 points. Hubbard’s reputation as a volume scorer was well-earned—he had previously torched Auburn for 46 points in their regular-season meeting and dropped 42 in the team’s recent loss to Georgia. But on this night, Auburn’s defense held him in check just enough, limiting him to 8-of-25 shooting and denying him a second-half three-pointer.
The game began with fireworks as former Bulldog KeShawn Murphy, now suiting up for Auburn, scored the Tigers’ first seven points. Murphy’s early run included a three-pointer and a quick technical foul for taunting the Mississippi State bench barely two minutes in—a move that seemed to light a fire under both teams. According to Chris Lee of Field Level Media, "Murphy was whistled for a technical foul for taunting the Mississippi State bench just 1:50 into the contest after hitting a 3 at the end of the run." The Bulldogs responded with a 31-16 run, surging ahead 33-23 late in the first half as Hubbard racked up 13 points before the break. Auburn, however, scored the half’s final seven points, trimming the deficit to 33-30 and setting the stage for a wild second half.
Mississippi State came out of the locker room firing, stringing together five quick points to take a 38-30 lead. But just as the Bulldogs seemed poised to seize control, Auburn’s offense erupted. Kevin Overton, who had been relatively quiet in the first half, caught fire from beyond the arc. Overton drilled four three-pointers in a span that fueled a 21-2 Auburn run, flipping the script and giving the Tigers a commanding 51-40 advantage with just over 13 minutes to play.
Overton’s performance was nothing short of electric. He finished with 22 points, matching Hubbard for game-high honors, and added five assists and four rebounds to his stat line. In the words of the game summary, "Kevin Overton was on fire from beyond the arc, nailing six 3-point shots to score a game-high-tying 22 points." Overton’s sharpshooting wasn’t the only story for Auburn, though. KeShawn Murphy put together a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Keyshawn Hall (14 points) and Tahaad Pettiford (13 points) gave the Tigers four players in double figures. Auburn’s balanced attack proved too much for the Bulldogs to handle down the stretch.
Mississippi State tried to claw back into it, with Ja’Borri McGhee and Achor Achor hitting back-to-back threes and Hubbard scoring his first points of the second half to narrow the gap to three. But every time the Bulldogs threatened, Auburn had an answer—most notably, another Overton three-pointer with just over three minutes left that pushed the lead to 71-59, effectively sealing the outcome.
Senior Jayden Epps was the only other Bulldog in double figures, contributing 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting, including 2-of-8 from deep. Mississippi State finished with 11 turnovers to Auburn’s seven and struggled to keep pace with the Tigers’ hot shooting in the second half. Auburn out-rebounded Mississippi State 43-39, a key edge in a game where every possession mattered.
The loss dropped Mississippi State to 13-19 on the season, while Auburn improved to 17-15 and kept its postseason dreams alive. The Tigers’ reward? A date with fifth-seeded Tennessee on Thursday afternoon, a matchup that promises plenty of intrigue as Auburn looks to continue its run. For Mississippi State, the defeat was especially tough given the promise shown earlier in the contest and the leadership of Hubbard, who had been the heart and soul of the team all season long.
Looking at the broader context, Auburn entered the tournament as a slight favorite over Mississippi State, with betting lines giving the Tigers a 7.5-point edge and a 71% confidence rating for victory, according to pregame models. The Tigers had also established themselves as one of the SEC’s most aggressive teams at the free-throw line, boasting the conference’s highest free throw rate at 46%. Their ability to get to the line and convert, coupled with efficient ball movement—Auburn averaged nearly 18 assists per game last season—helped them maintain an edge even when shots weren’t falling early.
Defensively, Auburn had been stingy all year, allowing opponents to shoot just 38% from the field, the best mark among Power Conference teams. Mississippi State, for its part, had been one of the SEC’s better three-point defenses, but on this day, the Tigers’ perimeter shooting proved decisive. Overton’s six three-pointers and the team’s 11 total made threes underscored the Bulldogs’ struggles to contest shots on the outside.
Elsewhere in the SEC Tournament, Kentucky dispatched LSU 87-82, and Ole Miss sent Texas packing with a 76-66 win. Florida, the reigning national champions, entered as the tournament favorite, and the bracket remains wide open as the action moves into the second round and beyond. Auburn, with its win, now faces the daunting task of toppling a top-five seed in Tennessee, while Mississippi State is left to reflect on a season that, despite flashes of brilliance, ended sooner than fans had hoped.
For Auburn, the victory over Mississippi State was more than just a ticket to the second round—it was a statement that the Tigers, led by Overton’s sharpshooting and Murphy’s inside presence, are not ready to go home just yet. As the SEC Tournament rolls on in Nashville, all eyes will be on whether Auburn can keep their momentum alive and make a deep run toward the conference crown.