Local Teams

D.J. Stewart Jr. scored 24 points as Mississippi State toppled No. 13 Missouri 78-63 on Tuesday night in Southeastern Conference action at Starkville, Miss.

The Bulldogs (7-4, 2-1 SEC) trailed by 12 points at halftime, but they outscored the Tigers 51-24 in the second half and pulled away at the free-throw line.

Iverson Molinar scored 20 points for Mississippi State and Tulo Smith had 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Jeremiah Tilmon scored 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting and pulled down six rebounds for the Tigers (7-2, 1-2). Xavier Pinson had 13 points and eight assists and Dru Smith added 11 points.

In beating Missouri for the ninth time in 10 games, Mississippi State outrebounded the Tigers 37-22 despite missing power forward Javian Davis, who was sidelined for undisclosed reasons.

The Bulldogs raced to an immediate 7-2 lead, highlighted by Jalen Johnson's corner three-point jumper, but the Tigers roared back on the road to take a 30-16 lead with 5:49 remaining in the first half. Javon Pickett came off the bench and sparked Missouri with seven consecutive points, and Tilmon got loose for four baskets, including three thunderous dunks.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs went cold, failing to score for more than five minutes while the Tigers enjoyed their 12-0 run.

After turning the ball over 21 times in their 81-68 victory at Arkansas, the Tigers turned the ball over just once in the first half while building their 39-27 halftime advantage.

During the first half, the Bulldogs missed 17 of 26 shots and turned the ball over eight times, but they stayed in the game with six offensive rebounds and 11 second-chance points.

The Bulldogs quickly reversed the game's momentum early in the second half, using a 15-0 run to take a 44-43 lead with 13 minutes remaining. Stewart scored eight of the points and Molinar scored seven.

When Tilmon picked up his fourth foul with 8:17 to play, Missouri unraveled. The Bulldogs used a 7-0 run to take control, and never wavered.

--Field Level Media