Vanderbilt 66, Mississippi State 56: Freshman Riley LaChance scored 15 points as the host Commodores overcame their third straight 11-point first-half deficit to earn a regular-season split with the Bulldogs.

James Siakam added 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds for Vanderbilt (18-12, 8-9 SEC), which has won four straight and seven of its last nine games. The Commodores, who also received 11 points and seven assists from Wade Baldwin IV and 11 points off the bench from Damian Jones, shot 55.3 percent from the floor, including 8-of-17 from 3-point range, to overcome 15 turnovers and a 6-of-13 performance at the free-throw stripe.

Craig Sword had 20 points to pace Mississippi State (12-18, 5-12), which suffered its fifth straight setback. Gavin Ware added 12 points and Roquez Johnson and I.J. Ready added eight apiece for the Bulldogs, who were outrebounded 27-19 and committed 17 turnovers.

Mississippi State took a 36-32 lead into the second half, but saw Vanderbilt come out on fire, hitting six of its first seven shots in a 14-4 run to take a 46-40 lead. Both teams, though, endured second-half scoring droughts of more than seven minutes, but the hosts were able to close out the game with a 10-2 run after the Bulldogs got within 56-54 with five minutes remaining.

It was a back-and-forth contest early before Mississippi State used an 8-0 run to take its largest lead at 28-17 with 9:18 to play in the half. Vanderbilt, though, fought back to pull even at 32 with two minutes left, but the Bulldogs scored the final four points to take the four-point lead into the break.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Vanderbilt has gone 42-of-85 from the 3-point arc over its last four games. … Mississippi State hit 6-of-8 3-pointers in the first half but missed both of its long-range attempts in the final 20 minutes. … Siakam and reserves Josh Henderson and Shelby Moats were honored on the Commodores’ Senior Night.