Alabama @ Mississippi State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 8, 2020 ) Mississippi State 69, Alabama 90

After easily dispatching Ole Miss, Alabama will head downstate to take on Mississippi State on Tuesday in an SEC showdown. The Crimson Tide scored 103 points against Ole Miss - the most in school history in a non-overtime road game - and will look to complete a season sweep of the Bulldogs.

The Crimson Tide continued their hot shooting on two-point attempts against Mississippi, making 51 percent and are hitting an SEC-best 53.5 percent from that area in league games. All of the stars performed for Alabama, who are in a fight with the Bulldogs and several other teams to be one of the four or five teams from the SEC that will make it into the NCAA Tournament, but none more so than Kira Lewis Jr., who put up 17 points and 11 assists without committing a turnover in 33 minutes. "I thought Kira did a good job on offense," coach Nate Oats, who team defeated Mississippi State 90-69 at home Jan. 8, told the media. "The ball was really moving. We did a good job of attacking the defense. They're one of the better defensive teams in the league." The Bulldogs have been a solid defensive team in their wins, but are allowing 80 points per game in their six league losses - the latest of which came Saturday on the road at Texas A&M.

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: SEC Network

ABOUT ALABAMA (15-12, 7-7 SEC): The next 3-point attempt by John Petty, Jr. will be the 600th for his career, making the fifth player in school history with at least that many. The junior is fourth in team history in 3-pointers made (232) and fifth in attempts and will likely own both records, currently held by Brian Williams, who was 263-of-738 from 1996-1999, by a wide margin should he choose to return for his senior season. Petty has been on fire from behind the arc over the last four games, making 45.5 percent, after enduring a four-game slump (3-of-17) - three of which were Alabama losses.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (17-10, 8-6): Reggie Perry is closing in on a milestone accomplished by only six other sophomores and freshmen in school history as he needs 34 points to reach 500 in a season. The 6-10 forward from Georgia has been as consistent as the come, scoring in double figures in all but two games this season. Perry has had 14 double-doubles, including three straight games of 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in January - the longest streak of such games since Rickey Brown had a run of six games in 1979-80.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Alabama boasts the nation's No. 2 scoring offense (83.3 points per game) and also ranks in the top five in 3-pointers made per game (11) and 3-pointers made (298) and attempted (840) - the latter two being the most in program history.

2. The Bulldogs have dropped 12 of the last 15 meetings with the Crimson Tide, but have won the last two home games.

3. Lewis needs 71 points to join James Robinson (1990-93) as the only players in school history to score 1,000 points in two seasons.

PREDICTION: Alabama 90, Mississippi State 75