With a depleted starting lineup and roster, Ole Miss made it as difficult as possible for Mississippi State, but didn't have enough firepower to get out of Starkville with a win.
Unable to rely on the points and rebounds so readily provided by Stefan Moody and Sebastian Saiz, Ole Miss wasn't expected to offer much resistance during Mississippi State's march to its first SEC win of the year. Instead, through a combination of good three-point and free-throw shooting, a constantly shifting zone defense, and general Andy Kennedy wizardry, the Rebels at least made the Bulldogs wonder if they were ever going to beat Ole Miss at anything again, before everything faded to black for the visitors in the 83-77 loss.