COLUMBIA, Mo. (Interstat) — Missouri defeated Mississippi State 84-79 in a Southeastern Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Mizzou Arena.

The Tigers led 42-35 at halftime and maintained that margin with another 42-point half. The Bulldogs’ second-half rally fell short despite 23 points from Jayden Epps and 22 from Josh Hubbard. Missouri’s balanced attack was led by Mark Mitchell with 19 points and seven rebounds, while T.O. Barrett added 16 points and eight rebounds.

Missouri capitalized at the free-throw line, making 25 of 33 attempts, compared to Mississippi State’s 12 of 18. The Tigers also recorded seven blocks. Missouri improved to 15-7 overall, while Mississippi State dropped to 9-11. An announced crowd of 12,527 attended the game.