D.J. Stewart Jr. scored 29 points and Mississippi State used an 18-2 run midway through the second half to take control and defeat Southeastern Conference rival South Carolina 75-59 on Saturday at Columbia, S.C.

Stewart shot 10 of 17, including 4 of 6 from 3-point territory, for the Bulldogs (11-9, 5-6 SEC).

Iverson Molinar added 16 points for Mississippi State, which won the boards battle 46-30.

A.J. Lawson and Keyshawn Bryant each had 13 points for the Gamecocks (5-7, 3-5 SEC). South Carolina shot 31 percent (19 of 61) overall and 20 percent (5 of 25) from 3-point range.

South Carolina has gone 2-5 following a stretch of seven in nine games being canceled or postponed during this COVID-19 pandemic season.

Trailing by two points, Mississippi State took command with an 18-2 run to go up 63-49 with 8:20 remaining. South Carolina missed 10 straight shots and went more than five minutes without scoring during the stretch.

The Gamecocks never got within 11 points the rest of the way. They trailed by as many as 18 points in the final minute.

The Bulldogs scored 13 straight points within that larger spurt, as Tolu Smith (nine points, eight rebounds) scored six points and Stewart contributed four.

Stewart scored 15 points and Molinar added 10 to help Mississippi State go up 36-30 at halftime. The Bulldogs outrebounded South Carolina 27-15.

Bryant scored eight points to lead nine Gamecocks scorers. South Carolina hit just 1 of 12 from 3-point territory.

South Carolina led 1-0 before tipoff after a pregame scuffle resulted in Bulldogs freshman swingman Keondre Montgomery being assessed a technical foul. Lawson sank 1 of 2 free throws to give the Gamecocks the early lead.

--Field Level Media