STARKVILLE, Miss. – In an impressive performance, the 20th-ranked Missouri Tigers defeated the 14th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs with a decisive score of 88-61 on Saturday.

Caleb Grill was a standout player for Missouri, contributing 20 points while shooting 6 for 11 from beyond the arc. Additionally, Tamar Bates and Josh Gray added 14 and 10 points, respectively, helping the team improve to a record of 17-4 overall and 6-2 in the SEC. The Tigers showcased their three-point shooting prowess, making 15 of their 32 attempts from long range.

On the other side, Mississippi State saw a strong effort from Josh Hubbard, who scored 24 points. KeShawn Murphy also played well, finishing the game with 16 points and nine rebounds. However, this loss dropped Mississippi State’s record to 16-6 and 4-5 in the conference.

Missouri established a comfortable 14-point lead by halftime and extended it with a significant 15-0 run early in the second half, effectively sealing the victory.

One of the turning points in the game was when Missouri ended the first half with a 12-1 scoring surge, resulting in a halftime score of 45-31. The Tigers demonstrated strong shooting, hitting 52% of their shots in the first half and connecting on 9 of 19 attempts from three-point territory. Rebounding was also a factor, as Missouri led 20-14 in that category, including seven offensive rebounds.

Overall, Missouri maintained a shooting percentage of 55% for the game and converted 7 of 10 free throws. They finished with a rebounding advantage of 39-31 over Mississippi State, who struggled with a shooting percentage of just 36% and made 8 of 26 attempts from three-point range.

Looking ahead, Missouri will face Tennessee on Wednesday, while Mississippi State is set to take on Georgia next Saturday.