Kentucky @ Mississippi State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 22, 2019 ) Mississippi State 55, Kentucky 76

Fifth-ranked Kentucky looks to match its defensive performance from the last game and extend to its winning streak to double digits when the Wildcats visit hungry Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon for an SEC contest. Kentucky held its opponent to 55 points or fewer for the sixth time during its nine-game streak Tuesday in a 76-48 rout of South Carolina at home.

“Defense is a big part of why we’re winning,” Wildcats sophomore forward PJ Washington told reporters after his team allowed 35.8 percent shooting from South Carolina. “Without our defense, I don’t think we would be on a nine-game winning streak. We’re stopping teams and forcing them to get out of their game plans and it’s just great to stop teams like that.” Kentucky will try to extend its winning streak over Mississippi State to 13 games after earning a 76-55 victory at home on Jan. 22 while limiting the Bulldogs to 31.1 percent from the field, including 3-of-20 from 3-point range. Mississippi State has lost five of nine games since starting the season 12-1 and coughed up leads several times before falling 92-88 in overtime at home against LSU on Wednesday. “Well, that was obviously a real gut-wrenching loss against a very good team,” Bulldogs coach Ben Howland told reporters. “. … We had leads multiple times in the first and second half. They kept fighting back, but I take full responsibility. I didn’t do a good enough job managing our minutes.”

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT KENTUCKY (19-3, 8-1 SEC): Washington has been a major factor during the last five games, averaging 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds to push his season totals to 13.8 and a team-high 8.3, respectively. Freshman guard Keldon Johnson leads the team in scoring (14.0) and has drained 40.8 percent from 3-point range, but is just 6-of-22 from the field overall the past two contests. Freshman guard Tyler Herro (13.4 points) is 17-of-32 from the floor the past three games while senior forward Reid Travis (11.9 points, 6.9 boards) was one rebound shy of a double-double against South Carolina.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (16-6, 4-5): Senior guard Quinndary Weatherspoon has been on a roll of late, recording 27 points in three of the last four games, and leads the team in scoring (18.0) along with steals (1.5). Junior guard Lamar Peters is second on the team in scoring (12.3) and leads the way in assists (5.8), but was 0-of-4 from the field with six assists versus LSU. Freshman forward Reggie Perry (8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds) has picked up his production level, averaging 19.3 points and 9.3 rebounds the past three contests, and boasts double-doubles in three of the past four games.

TIP-INS

1. Mississippi State F Aric Holman is averaging 11 points, but was held scoreless in 20 minutes against Kentucky last month.

2. Kentucky freshman G Ashton Hagans tops the team in assists (4.3) and steals (2.3) while scoring 7.2 per game.

3. The Bulldogs shot 54.2 percent from the field against LSU, but turned the ball over 18 times - 4.5 above their average.

PREDICTION: Kentucky 76, Mississippi State 70