STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s spot in the NCAA Tournament seems pretty secure. Wins like the one they got Tuesday certainly don’t hurt, though.

The Bulldogs held No. 7 Texas A&M to only 28 percent shooting in the second half, and got a 25-point performance from Josh Hubbard to pick up an impressive 70-54 victory at Humphrey Coliseum.

Mississippi State (19-7, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) won its second game in a row, after beating No. 19 Ole Miss on the road last weekend. Any SEC win is a resume-builder this season — the conference currently has nine teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 — but beating one in the upper tier carries some extra weight.

Fans stormed the court at Humphrey Coliseum after the Bulldogs earned their first win in three tries this season against a Top 10 opponent.

Claudell Harris Jr. added 15 points and RJ Melendez scored 10 for the Bulldogs. Keshawn Murphy chipped in eight points and eight rebounds.

Hubbard was 10-for-11 from the free throw line and Mississippi State was 17-for-20 as a team.

Texas A&M (20-6, 9-4) led 31-30 at halftime, but went cold in the second half. A 3-pointer by Wade Taylor IV with 17:15 left was its only field goal in the first 9:38 of the half. Mississippi State went on a 14-3 run during that stretch to take control.

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— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) February 19, 2025