Tyson Carter scored 35 points and grabbed six rebounds as Mississippi State defeated North Dakota State 83-59 on Thursday night in Starkville, Miss.

Carter's career-best point total made him the first Bulldog to score 35 in a game since Jeff Malone accomplished the feat during the 1983 campaign.

Mississippi State (6-0) is off to its best start since the 2003-04 season, when the Bulldogs began the year 13-0.

Nick Weatherspoon and Aric Holman each contributed 12 points for the Bulldogs. Holman posted a game-high nine rebounds, and Quinndary Weatherspoon contributed nine points and 10 assists.

Paul Miller led North Dakota State (3-4) with 19 points and four assists, while A.J. Jacobson added 15 points.

Mississippi State's Xavian Stapleton provided several highlight moments with a pair of dunks accounting for all four of his points. The junior also added three steals and a block but was pulled from the game by Mississippi State coach Ben Howland after the guard missed an uncontested reverse dunk.

Bulldogs freshman forward Abdul Ado fouled out with five points and four rebounds.

The Bulldogs shot 51.7 percent from the floor, including 43.5 percent from 3-point range, to the Bison's 38.6 percent shooting, including 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. Mississippi State outrebounded North Dakota State by a 41-28 margin and earned 12 fast-break points to the Bison's two.

Mississippi State is back on the hardwood in Starkville on Sunday to play host to Dayton. North Dakota State returns to Fargo for a Tuesday matchup with Valley City State.