Mississippi State turned up the defensive intensity early in the second half Saturday, flipping a halftime deficit into a double-digit lead, and the Bulldogs held on to beat Arkansas 77-67 at Fayetteville, Ark.

Senior guard Quinndary Weatherspoon scored 22 points and guard Tyson Carter added a season-high 18 as Mississippi State (18-7, 6-6 Southeastern Conference) won its second consecutive game after a run in which it lost three of four.

Sophomore guard Mason Jones matched his career high with 30 points as the Razorbacks (14-11, 5-7) lost their third consecutive game following a three-game win streak that included a victory at then-No. 19 LSU. Sophomore forward Daniel Gafford had 11 rebounds for Arkansas.

Freshman guard Reggie Perry scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while freshman guard Robert Woodard added 10 points as Mississippi State won its fourth consecutive game over Arkansas. The Saturday contest was the only scheduled regular-season game between the teams this season.

The Bulldogs won despite playing without sophomore starting guard Nick Weatherspoon, who was suspended indefinitely for violation of undisclosed team rules. Nick Weatherspoon, whose discipline was announced less than two hours before the start of the game, watched from the bench.

Mississippi State trailed 38-32 at halftime after watching Arkansas shoot 58.3 percent from the field. The Bulldogs' defense changed things drastically as the Razorbacks shot just 28.6 percent from the field after halftime.

The Bulldogs opened the second half on a 23-3 run, including a 23-1 sprint after the Razorbacks made two free throws to open the final 20 minutes. There was also a 16-0 run for Mississippi State within that stretch.

Arkansas missed its first 14 shots from the field after halftime, a drought that ended when Jones produced a three-point play 8:27 into the half.

Arkansas cut the deficit to single digits with inside of six minutes remaining, with Quinndary Weatherspoon ending a five-minute spell without a field goal by Mississippi State with a fastbreak layup for a 64-53 advantage.

Mississippi State won for the fourth time in seven road games, winning each of its past two games away from home. Over the past two seasons, the Bulldogs have won 16 of 17 games when Quinndary Weatherspoon has scored at least 20 points.

Arkansas fell to 10-5 at home and to 12-5 when it held the lead at halftime.

--Field Level Media