STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) Reggie Perry had 24 points with 12 rebounds and D.J. Stewart had a career-high 20 points to lead Mississippi State to an 86-73 victory over Tennessee on Saturday.
Perry’s output marked the seventh time in the last 10 games he has scored at least 20 points. The sophomore forward also collected his 12th double-double of the season and 21st of his career. Stewart was 6 of 9 shooting and made 4 of 5 shots from 3-point distance.
Robert Woodard added 14 points for Mississippi State (14-7 overall, 5-3 in the SEC), which has won five straight conference games. Nick Weatherspoon had 11 points, eight rebounds and a career-high nine assists for the Bulldogs.
Uros Plavsic and Santiago Vescovi each had 16 points for Tennessee (12-9, 4-4), which has dropped three straight games. Jalen Johnson added 13 for the Volunteers and Jordan Bowden had 12.
The first half featured several runs by both teams and the lead changed hands five times with three ties. After Mississippi State took an early 13-6 lead, the Volunteers responded with a 15-4 spurt and held a 21-17 lead with 7:36 left in the opening half.
The Bulldogs answered with a 7-0 run to hold a 23-21 advantage but it would be Mississippi State’s final lead of the half. Tennessee closed the half on a 13-5 run and led 34-28 at halftime.
Tennessee shot 52% in the first half and made 5 of 9 shots beyond the arc. Mississippi State made 44% from the floor and made just 1 of 7 attempts beyond the arc. The Volunteers held a 16-13 rebounding advantage in the first half and both teams had five turnovers.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: The Volunteers find themselves on a three-game losing streak and remain on the road next week. Saturday’s loss also snapped Tennessee’s four-game winning streak against Mississippi State.
Mississippi State: Since inserting Stewart in the starting lineup, Mississippi State has won five straight SEC games. The Bulldogs opened with an 0-3 conference mark.
UP NEXT
Tennessee: The Volunteers continue their road swing and play at Alabama on Tuesday.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs return to the road to play No. 13 Kentucky on Tuesday.
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