McGhee scores career-high 29, Mississippi St. rallies from 17 down, beats Utah 82-74

By Canadian Press on December 13, 2025.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Ja’Borri McGhee scored a career-high 29 points, Jayden Epps added 20 points, and Mississippi State rallied to beat Utah 82-74 on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs rallied from a 17-point deficit, their largest comeback since coach Chris Jans was hired prior to the 2022-23 season.

McGhee, a UAB transfer, made 11 of 16 from the field, 5 of 7 from 3-point range. Josh Hubbard scored 13 points for Mississippi State (5-5).

McGhee hit a step-back 3-pointer and then made a layup that gave the Bulldogs a 74-70 lead with 2 1/2 minutes to play. Terrence Brown made two free throws to make it a one-possession game, but Josh Hubbard driving floater about a minute later. After a Utah turnover, Shawn Jones Jr. threw down a monstrous two-hand dunk to make it 78-72 with 59 seconds remaining.

Don McHenry led Utah (7-4) with 29 points, which included five 3-pointers, and Brown finished with 22.

McHenry scored all of Utah’s points in an 11-3 run and Utah led by as many as 17 late in the first half. The Utes took a 52-37 lead three minutes into the second after Brown’s steal and fast-break dunk, but the Bulldogs scored 23 of the next 27 points to take a four-point lead — their first since 2-1 — with 9:24 to play.

Mississippi State freshman Jamarion Davis-Fleming left the game in the closing seconds after a collision with Utah’s Seydou Traore.

Up next

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs host Long Island University on Tuesday.

Utah: The Utes take on Eastern Washington at home next Saturday.

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The Associated Press