Mississippi State had two quality looks at the end of its First Four game against Pittsburgh. It wasn't enough.

If the 2023 NCAA Tournament plays out like the opening pair of First Four games, we’re in for a lot of fun — and also a lot of heartbreak. Mississippi State and its fans found themselves feeling the latter on Tuesday against Pittsburgh.

The Bulldogs trailed by only one point with 2.7 seconds left and were inbounding the ball on their offensive end. If Mississippi State could get a semi-decent look, it’d have a real chance to steal the game at the end. But the Bulldogs didn’t get one semi-decent look. They got one uncontested look and another clean look from short range. Still, it was not quite enough.

Inbounding the ball underneath the hoop, Dashawn Davis looked to his left and found a wide-open Shakeel Moore. Moore’s shot was just off, but the heartbreak didn’t stop there. Bulldogs forward D.J. Jeffries was well-positioned for the rebound and got a clean look at a tip. Ultimately, though, that was also just off-target.

Naturally, the two teams had dramatically different reactions. Pitt tweeted the familiar March message, “Survive and Advance” while Mississippi State basketball sent out a message also familiar with March Madness, a broken heart emoji.

The rest of the college basketball world had a similar reaction to the tense finish.

Pittsburgh will now head to a familiar location, Greensboro, where the ACC Tournament was played. Iowa State, the No. 6 seed from the Midwest Region, will await the Panthers.

[Photo Credit: TruTV]

About Michael Dixon

Michael is a writer and editor for The Comeback Media. Fan of most sports, nerd when it comes to sports history. Bay Area based for now. Likely leaving sometime early in 2023.

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