Mississippi State used a big second-half run to take control Wednesday, downing Arkansas 67-56 in Starkville, Miss.

Dee Bost scored 18 points to lead the Bulldogs (13-10, 5-4 SEC), who won for the third time in four games and pulled within 2 ½ games of Alabama in the SEC West.

Arkansas (14-9, 4-6), which lost its third game in a row and fifth in its past seven, was led by Marcus Britt’s 10 points.

The Bulldogs played their second consecutive game without leading scorer Ravern Johnson, who has been suspended indefinitely for violating the school’s class attendance policy.

Ahead 43-40 six minutes into the second half, the Bulldogs scored 15 of the next 17 points. Bost hit consecutive 3-pointers early in the run and Brian Bryant’s 3-pointer with 9:39 to go staked the Bulldogs to a 58-42 advantage.

The Razorbacks used a 10-2 run to pull within 60-52 on Jeff Peterson’s 3-pointer with 5:38 left. Britt brought Arkansas within 61-55 on a layup with one minute left.

Trailing 25-22 with less than four minutes left in the first half, the Bulldogs closed the half on an 11-3 run. Bost tied the game at 25-25 with a 3-pointer with 3:34 left and pushed Mississippi State ahead 28-25 on a 3-pointer 49 seconds later.