Live with the Tide: Alabama Basketball Travels to Mississippi State

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The University of Alabama men's basketball team will look to finish off a season sweep of Mississippi State when it takes the court Tuesday night. 

Alabama (15-12, 7-7 SEC) dominated the Bulldogs, 90-69, in Tuscaloosa back on Jan. 8. 

Things have changed since that night and both teams are needing a win to keep their chances of making the NCAA tournament alive. 

The Crimson Tide comes into this contest having defeated Ole Miss last time out, while the Bulldogs (17-10, 8-6 SEC) lost to Texas A&M. 

Currently, Mississippi State is a 4.5 point favorite according to BetOnline.Ag. The over/under is set for 157.5. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m, CT, on SEC Network.

Pregame

Tonight's officials are Don Daily, Vlad Voyard-Tadal, and Patrick Evans. 

Alabama starters: Kira Lewis, Jr., Jaden Shackelford, John Petty, Jr., Herbert Jones, and Alex Reese

Mississippi State starters: Nick Weatherspoon, D.J. Stewart, Jr., Robert Woodard II, Reggie Perry, and Abdul Ado

First Half

• Mississippi State has won the tip and Ado scores the layup. 
• Lewis bangs home a three from the corner. 
• Ado and Petty trade layups. Alabama leads by one, 5-4. 
• Shackelford megs his defender and finishes at the rim for the layup. 
• At the first media timeout, Alabama owns a 3-point lead, 7-4, with 16 minutes to go. 
• Nate Oats' plan to defend Perry is through Jones. Herb is doing a solid job through the first four minutes. 
• Out of the timeout, Perry is called for an offensive foul. 
• Beetle Bolden and Galin Smith are Alabama's first subs. 
• Carter just tied the game with a three-pointer from the corner. 
• Woodard scores a layup, but the Crimson Tide retake the lead after Petty's three-pointer. 
• Jaylen Forbes enters the game for Jones and he will head to the free-throw line. He sinks one of two. 
• Perry hits the jumper and Mississippi State now has a one-point lead, 17-16, with 11:51 remaining. Petty leads all scorers with eight. 
• Javian Davis checks in. 
• Bolden hits from beyond the arc after the timeout. 
• Molinar makes two from the line and it is tied at 19. 
• The Bulldogs have made seven shots in a row from the field and lead 28-27. On the other hand, Alabama has made four of its last seven. 
• Petty is down in some serious pain, holding his right elbow. He exits the floor to the locker room. 
• Play resumes and Bolden hits a fadeaway jumper to give Alabama the lead, 29-28.
• Reese drives and scores a tough basket to extend the lead to three.  
• Lewis hits from downtown and Alabama leads by six, 34-28. 5:02 to go in this half.
• The Bulldogs answer with a 6-0 run to tie the game after that dunk by Perry.  
• Lewis breaks it with another three-pointer. His third of the game. 
• Alabama leads by three, 37-34, with 2:24 to go. Petty is doubtful to return to this game. 
• Out of the timeout, Reese turns it over, which leads to a basket by Perry. 
• Weatherspoon scores a three from the wing, which forces Oats to call a timeout with 18 seconds remaining. Bulldogs lead by two, 41-39. 
• Shackelford shots goes long and Alabama will go into the locker room trailing 41-39. 
• Lewis has 13 points along with five rebounds and one block. Bolden has 10 points and three boards. 

Second Half

• Petty is still in the locker room as the Crimson Tide takes the floor to begin this half.
• Bolden will replace him. The rest of the lineup stays the same as the one that started the game.  
• Petty has returned to the bench and is wearing a sleeve on his right arm. 
• Lewis scores a layup to tie the game, but the Bulldogs proceed to go on a 6-0 run to take a 47-41 lead. 
• A jumper from Weatherspoon gives the Bulldogs its biggest lead of the game at eight. Oats will call a timeout. Alabama trails 53-45. 16:21 remaining. 
• Petty has been officially ruled out. 
• Davis is Alabama's first sub of this half. 
• Davis is fouled by Perry and he heads to the charity stripe. He makes one of two. 
• At the first media timeout, Alabama trails 53-46 with 15:54 to go. 
• Shackelford has scored five quick points for the Crimson Tide. Only down by two now, 53-51. 
• The Bulldog fans are not happy here in the Hump after a couple calls have gone the Crimson Tide's way. 
• Jones just picked up his third foul as Woodard scores the tough layup. He misses the foul shot. Alabama is on a scoring drought of over two minutes. 
• Lewis finds the bottom of the net on that floater. Back to a two-point game. Alabama trails 55-53. 11:43 remaining. 
• Out of the timeout, Carter hits a mid-range jumper over Shackelford and the Crimson Tide turn it over on its offensive end. 
• Lewis scores a three-pointer after the Crimson Tide had missed its first six attempts in the second half. 
• Jones gets a steal and Lewis takes it all the way for the lay up. He was fouled during his shot attempt. He completes the and-one. We are tied at 59 with 9:35 left. 
• Forbes airballs a three-pointer and the Bulldogs take control of the rebound. Perry hits a trey from the wing. 
• Carter is at the line shooting two. Jones just picked up his fourth foul. 
• Carter makes both shots and Alabama trails by five, 64-59. 
• Alabama is now in the bonus. Lewis will shoot one-and-one. He scores two from the charity stripe. 
• There is a miscue on the Alabama defense and Perry slams home the alley-oop. 
• Reese is called for a charge and we have reached the under eight-minute media timeout. Alabama trails 66-61 with 7:27 to go. 
• Jones fouls Perry and he has fouled out. 
• Perry makes one of two at the line to extend the Bulldogs lead to seven. 
• Perry just picked up his fourth foul with 5:54 remaining. 
• Davis at the line and he scores one of two. Alabama trails 67-62. 
• Perry scores two more from the line to push the Bulldogs lead to 69-62. 
• Carter makes two free throws, but Reese gets the Crimson Tide back in it with a three-pointer from the corner. 
• A layup by Shackelford cuts the Bulldogs lead to four, but a jumper by Perry pushes it back to six. At the final media timeout of the game, Alabama trails 73-67 with 3:11 to go. 
• Out of the break in the action, Lewis drives and scores. He has 29 points on the evening. 
• Smith is at the line shooting two. He misses both and the Crimson Tide trail 75-69 with 1:38 left. 
• Bolden scores one after being fouled by Carter. 
• Carter hits the running layup and the Bulldogs lead by seven with 38 seconds to play.
• Shackelford makes the three after the Crimson Tide get the offensive rebound. Alabama is down four with 17 seconds left.
• Mississippi State defeats Alabama 80-73.  Lewis led all scorers with 29 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.