Shakeel Moore scored 22 points as Mississippi State won on the road in Columbia, S.C. on Tuesday night, beating South Carolina 66-51.
Moore made 9 of 11 shots from the floor, sank a pair of 3-pointers and also knocked down two free throws for the Bulldogs (14-8, 2-7 SEC), who won their second straight game. Moore also had four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Tolu Smith chipped in 15 points and eight boards for Mississippi State, while Tyler Stevenson added 12 points.
Gregory “GG” Jackson II led South Carolina (8-14, 1-8 SEC) with 15 points, while Meechie Johnson had 13 points. Josh Gray chipped in six points and 14 boards.
It was the sixth straight loss for the Gamecocks, who have now surpassed their loss total from last season.
South Carolina led 13-9 early on — following a 9-2 run where Jakobi Wright scored five points — but couldn’t hang on to the advantage. Mississippi State took the lead later in the first half with an 11-3 run that put the Bulldogs ahead by seven points just before halftime. That run was highlighted by Moore swishing a 3-pointer on a fast break.
The Bulldogs kept their foot on the gas in the second half, breaking off a 16-4 run over about five minutes of play to take a 20-point lead, their largest of the game. Moore had eight points on that run, and Smith threw down a dunk on a fast break to cap it off.
Mississippi State won the rebounding battle by six and outscored South Carolina in the paint 42-16. The Bulldogs also outscored the Gamecocks 19-2 on fast breaks and 21-11 in points off turnovers. Mississippi State had 18 assists on 27 made baskets and shot 52.9 percent from the floor.
The Bulldogs will aim for their third straight win Saturday when they host Missouri.
–Field Level Media