Leading scorer Iverson Molinar netted 20 points, Mississippi State shot 60 percent in the first half and the Bulldogs pounded South Carolina 78-64 Tuesday night in Starkville, Miss.
Mississippi State (14-7, 5-3 SEC) crafted a 23-point lead in the first half to break its two-game losing streak in an impressive victory over the Gamecocks (13-8, 4-5).
Averaging over 18 points per game, Molinar made 5 of 10 from the field and sank all 10 of his free throws as he continued his streak of scoring in double figures in every game.
Garrison Brooks matched his season high with 18 points and added nine rebounds. His dominance in the lane was key in Mississippi State possessing a 30-24 advantage in points in the paint and leading by as many as 27.
Rocket Watts scored 11, while D.J. Jeffries totaled 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
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Mississippi State won the rebounding battle 41-24. In winning for the seventh time in the past nine games against the Gamecocks, the Bulldogs improved to 26-16 in the all-time series.
James Reese V topped his team with 15 points and Devin Carter added 10, but South Carolina saw its three-game winning streak come to an end in a poor shooting night — 24 of 58 (41.4 percent).
The Gamecocks went on a 13-0 run late in the game but got no closer than 12.
In their first of two meetings, the home side started hot by draining its first four shots, including a pair of buckets by Brooks for an 8-2 edge just over two minutes in.
The Gamecocks battled back, but they had no answer for Brooks as he tallied 11 points in the first 7:19 for a 19-9 lead for the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State continued its hot shooting on an 18-2 run over a span of seven-plus minutes, compiling a 28-11 advantage.
In the lopsided first half, Brooks totaled 17 points — one off his season high — on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed three rebounds.
Mississippi State held a 45-23 halftime lead by nailing 18 of 30 shots (60 percent) and holding South Carolina to 35.7 percent (10 of 28).
–Field Level Media
