STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Josh Hubbard scored 27 points, Mississippi State rallied from an early second-half deficit, and the Bulldogs defeated North Alabama 86-62 in a season opener on Wednesday night.
North Alabama's 10-0 run early in the second half resulted in a 51-42 lead for the Lions, but Mississippi State dominated from there. The Bulldogs scored the next 15 points and did not allow consecutive baskets the rest of the game.
North Alabama was outscored 44-11 over the final 16 minutes.
Ja’Borri McGhee scored 14 points for Mississippi State. Sergej Macura grabbed 12 rebounds and Hubbard had eight assists.
Canin Jefferson scored 16 points, Kevin de Kovachich 14, and Braylon Patton 11 for North Alabama. Corneilous Williams had 13 rebounds.
Mississippi State's largest lead of the first half was nine points with about seven minutes remaining before North Alabama buried four 3-pointers in a six-minute stretch to go ahead 37-36. The Lions made 6 of 10 3-pointers in the half and trailed 38-37 at the break.
The Bulldogs had seven turnovers. North Alabama had only seven assists.
Mississippi State opened the 50th anniversary season of Humphrey Coliseum, with the official anniversary celebration coming on Dec. 1.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
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