Arkansas basketball squanders final minute in loss to Mississippi State to fall below .500

Arkansas basketball has reached a new low in the Eric Musselman era.

For the first time in Musselman's five seasons, the Razorbacks (12-13, 3-9) are under .500 after a 71-67 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday.

A layup from El Ellis gave Arkansas a two-point lead with 1:07 remaining, but the Hogs would not score again as the Bulldogs (17-8, 6-6) made the winning plays down the stretch.

Here are four observations from the Arkansas loss.

Josh Hubbard breaks Arkansas basketball hearts

Mississippi State’s true freshman guard rose to the occasion in the final minutes, sinking a jumper to tie the game at 65 before making a 3-pointer with 58 seconds remaining to give Mississippi State a one-point lead it would not relinquish.

Hubbard had to deal with foul trouble early in the game, but scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the second half. He also had three assists and zero turnovers, slicing up the Arkansas defense when he was on the floor. Hubbard beat Davonte Davis for both clutch baskets in the final minutes.

Makhi Mitchell's renaissance continues

Mitchell scored more than 10 points in just two of his first 19 games this season, but the senior center has turned a corner in recent weeks.

He’s scored at least 10 points in five of his last six games and poured in a game-high 21 points against Mississippi State. Mitchell was Arkansas' go-to option on offense in the late portions of the second half, and it nearly resulted in an upset.

Points in the paint, offensive rebounds remain a problem

Mississippi State made just three 3-pointers. Arkansas appears to have made significant strides defending the three, which has been a long-term issue, but the Hogs have sacrificed their interior defending.

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The Bulldogs scored 25 of their 34 first-half points inside the paint, finishing with a 40-30 advantage in that category. Arkansas was without big men Trevon Brazile and Jalen Graham, and Mississippi State took advantage.

Arkansas’ lack of size cost it on the glass, too. Mississippi State outrebounded the Hogs 42-27, and the Bulldogs grabbed a whopping 17 offensive rebounds.

The Razorbacks got away with their lack of rebounding early, and Mississippi State only scored 13 second-chance points, but the extra opportunities took its toll as the game wore on

Khalif Battle has best game of the SEC season

Battle has struggled mightily in conference play, but the Temple transfer was undoubtedly the Hogs' best player Saturday.

His 18 points were a personal high in the SEC, but his defense and playmaking also shined through. Battle was undersized in most of his individual matchups vs. the Bulldogs and still held up defensively. He also dished out two assists with zero turnovers.

Unfortunately, Battle and Tramon Mark both fouled out late in the second half and played no part in the final two minutes.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball blows final minute in loss to Mississippi State