STARKVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — The Tennessee Volunteers look to rebound from a narrow road loss when they visit the struggling Mississippi State Bulldogs in a Southeastern Conference men’s basketball matchup Wednesday night at Humphrey Coliseum. Tennessee (16-6, 6-3 SEC) enters after a tough 74-71 defeat at then-Kentucky on Saturday, snapping a four-game winning streak. The Volunteers are led by star forward Nate Ament, who poured in 29 points in the loss. Ament has been on a tear, averaging 24.6 points over his last seven games, including a 29-point performance in a win at Alabama on Jan. 24. Mississippi State (9-12, 1-8) seeks to end a five-game skid, most recently an 88-68 home loss to Arkansas. The Bulldogs have struggled defensively in conference play, allowing an average of 85.4 points during their losing streak. Forward Achor Achor is coming off one of his better performances with 15 points and eight rebounds against the Razorbacks, but consistency has been an issue for the team. The matchup pits Tennessee’s potent offense, which has scored 84 or more points in four of its last five wins, against a Mississippi State team searching for answers. The Volunteers won the season’s first meeting 84-66 in Knoxville on Feb. 3, where Ament scored 28 points. For Mississippi State, guard Josh Hubbard, who scored 16 points against Arkansas, will need backcourt support against Tennessee’s pressure. The Volunteers’ defense, which forces over 14 turnovers per game, will challenge a Bulldog squad that has committed 15 or more turnovers in three of its last five games. The game is critical for both teams’ trajectories. Tennessee aims to keep pace in the upper tier of the SEC race, while Mississippi State desperately needs a signature win to salvage its season. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. EST.