Starkville - Mississippi State picked up its first SEC win of the season as they defeated Ole Miss 64-54 in the first rivalry matchup of Chris Jans' tenure.

Mississippi State controlled the game with a 26-23 point lead at the break after a defensive battle in the first half, but a 1-10 start to the 2nd half allowed Ole Miss to propel themselves ahead.

Eric Reed Jr. ignited a 17-4 run as the Bulldogs found themselves down 38-31 midway through the second half. The Southeast Missouri transfer drained a three to score his first points of the game, and a bucket from Will McNair Jr. and a three from Shakeel Moore quickly gave them ba%ck the lead.

McNair had his best game as a Bulldog when it was much needed, as Tolu Smith found himself in foul trouble despite a solid 12-point performance. The New Mexico State transfer scored a season-high 13 points while hauling in seven rebounds and blocking a shot.

The Bulldogs stayed hot and never looked back. Eric Reed Jr. drilled another three and finished with nine points, with Shakeel Moore scoring seven. Mississippi State made its money off second-chance points reeling in 17 offensive rebounds, including five from Reed Jr., who dished one out for a Dashawn Davis three to make it an eight-point game with just over three minutes to play.

Mississippi State had hit a cold streak losing its last three games, but their defense got back on track tonight, holding Ole Miss to its lowest point total of the season. The Bulldogs created 15 Ole Miss turnovers and they held the Rebels to 35.8% from the field.

Junior guard Matthew Murrell scored 19 points, but the State defense was able to give him trouble at the three-point line as he shot 1-7 from deep, while Jaemyn Brakefield was their only other double-figure scorer with ten.

Mississippi State moves to 12-3 on the season and gets a much-needed win to reach 1-2 in SEC play. They'll look to keep the momentum going on Wednesday as they'll travel to Athens to face an 11-4 Georgia team.