MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Riley Kugel scored 19 points and KeShawn Murphy added 13 points and nine rebounds to lead Mississippi State past No. 21 Memphis 79-66 on Saturday.
Josh Hubbard also had 13 points and Cameron Matthews added 12 points and six assists as the Bulldogs (11-1) built an early 20-point lead and were never really threatened in winning their fifth straight.
PJ Haggerty led Memphis (9-3) with 24 points and Tyrese Hunter finished with 19.
The Mississippi State defense caused a 36% shooting day for the Tigers, including 8 of 27 from outside the arc. Memphis also added 18 turnovers.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs were just outside the Top 25 in this week’s poll. They should move back into the rankings after this victory.
Memphis: The Tigers can’t seem to enjoy success. They dropped out of the polls after a loss to Arkansas State earlier this month. Wins at Clemson and Virginia got them back in the rankings, but the loss to the Bulldogs came with another uninspired effort.
PHOTOS: Riley Kugel scores 19 points as Mississippi State defeats No. 21 Memphis 79-66
The Bulldog defense caused problems for Memphis. The Tigers threw the ball away and were shooting under 30% for most of the first half, making only one of their first seven shots from outside the arc. That contributed to a 13-0 Bulldogs run and a lead that stretched to 20 points before halftime.
Mississippi State, which shoots 34% from outside the arc for the season, was 9 of 18 from distance in the first half.
Mississippi State hosts Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 30 and Memphis entertains No. 17 Ole Miss on Dec. 28.
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