Gavin Ware added 12 points, including 10 in the second half, for Mississippi State (3-0), which avenged last season’s 87-68 road loss to Utah State (3-1). The Bulldogs, who also received nine points from reserve Fallou Ndoye, eight rebounds from Ware and seven points and eight boards from Travis Daniels, dominated down low with a 38-21 rebounding advantage.

Guards Darius Perkins and Chris Smith each scored 14, including a combined seven 3-pointers, to pace the Aggies, who have lost two of their three all-time meetings with the Bulldogs. Utah State hit 10 treys overall, but leading scorer David Collette had only six points – 10 points below his average – and was hampered by foul trouble most of the contest.

The Aggies led 38-34 at the half and quickly extended their advantage to 41-34 on a 3-pointer by Smith before Mississippi State scored the next eight points to send the game into a see-saw stretch of ties and lead changes. Collette’s jumper with six minutes to play gave Utah State it’s final lead at 58-57, but the hosts reeled off another 8-0 run to take control and the Aggies never got closer than four over the final two minutes.

Both teams were on target early in a back-and-forth game but Mississippi State took advantage of a seven-minute scoring drought from the turnover-plagued visitors to take a 27-21 lead on Thomas’ jumper with just under five minutes left in the opening half. Perkins got hot and connected on trio of 3-pointers as Utah State closed out the stanza with a 17-7 run to take the four-point lead into the break.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Guard I.J. Ready, who missed Mississippi State’s first two games while recovering from off-season back surgery, had two points, three assists and a pair of steals off the bench. … Mississippi State is now 5-6 all-time against Mountain West Conference opponents, while Utah State is 5-13 against SEC foes. … The Bulldogs, who entered the season with a six-game home losing streak, have notched all three of their wins in Starkville.