Mississippi State loses first regular season home non-conference game since 2012

STARKVILLE – Something sounded different at Humphrey Coliseum. 

The Bulldogs are usually serenaded with support as they head up the tunnel at halftime. The arena was eerily quiet when the players walked toward the locker room Sunday. Their eight-point deficit to West Virginia had Mississippi State fans miffed. 

The referees, meanwhile, had Mississippi State fans downright angry. 

With both teams already in their respective locker rooms, MSU fans showered the refs with boos as they went to the green room for a break of their own. When things aren't going to plan, someone has to take the fall. No way it was going to be the home team. 

Not even after No. 10 Mississippi State lost, 71-65, dropping a regular season non-conference home game for the first time since Nov. 12, 2012.

Most of the 7,113 that filed into the Hump had already left by the time the final buzzer blew. Normally there are dozens of folks who stay for autographs and photo opportunities by Mississippi State's bench. Even that didn't occur. 

"I know people around here think the sky is falling because we lost a non-conference game," MSU head coach Vic Schaefer said. "Well, it happens." 

The eerie silence that pervaded the Hump at halftime was momentarily replaced by fervent cheers when State stormed out of the half to regain the lead in the third quarter. After only scoring 28 points in the entire first half, the Bulldogs scored 27 in the third quarter alone to take a six-point lead into the final frame.

It looked like MSU had regained its form for good and would pull out a victory as it has time and time again over the last few several years. 

Then the problems that plagued the Bulldogs early on reared their ugly heads again. 

Mississippi State (8-2) couldn't make a shot down the stretch. The Bulldogs missed eight of their last nine attempts. West Virginia made four of its last five.

Schaefer said West Virginia (6-1), which out-rebounded Mississippi State 46-34, was simply the tougher team. When plays needed to be made, the Mountaineers made them. Mississippi State didn't. 

"That is a hard-nosed veteran team," Schaefer said. "We just kind of got taken to the woodshed, really. It's a great lesson to learn." 

Schaefer said his team was "anemic" offensively for much of the night. If that's how he'd describe his team's offense, then perhaps it's fair to say State was miserable at the free throw line. Mississippi State left 15 points at the line in going 15-of-30. 

Senior guard Jordan Danberry and freshman forward Rickea Jackson had standout nights offensively in spite of the team's overall lack of production. Danberry scored 19 points while Jackson had 15. 

But Danberry turned the ball over five times. Jackson turned it over six times. Together they made 13 shots, but they also missed 13. Schaefer said it's the latter that they'll think about more than the ones they were about to put home. 

"It's definitely not a good feeling right now," Danberry said. "We got a lot of changes we have to make." 

Mississippi State has a full week off to make those changes before traveling to Lafayette, Louisiana, to take on the Ragin' Cajuns on Dec. 16. 

Contact Tyler Horka at thorka@gannett.com. Follow @tbhorka on Twitter. To read more of Tyler's work, subscribe to the Clarion Ledger today!