D.J. Stewart Jr. scored 15 points and Mississippi State took control early in the first half on its way to a 69-48 victory over reeling South Carolina in a Southeastern Conference game Wednesday night in Starkville, Miss.

Abdul Ado added 11 points for the Bulldogs (13-11, 7-8), who won their second straight game after losing six of their last seven conference games before that.

Keyshawn Bryant scored 14 and A.J. Lawson added 10 to lead the Gamecocks (5-12, 3-10), who lost their sixth consecutive game. The streak started with a 75-59 home loss to the Bulldogs on Feb. 6.

Mississippi State had a 49-24 rebounding advantage, led by Tolu Smith's 13 boards, and held South Carolina to 29 percent shooting from the field and 19 percent on 3-pointers. The Bulldogs outscored the Gamecocks 17-8 at the free-throw line.

The Bulldogs led by double figures for nearly the entire first half and held a 15-point edge at halftime.

They maintained a double-digit lead and grabbed a 54-35 advantage when Ado made a layup midway through the half.

The Gamecocks made just one field goal in more than five minutes before Lawson hit a jumper, but Deivon Smith answered with a 3-pointer that gave the Bulldogs their first 20-point lead of the game.

Lawson scored South Carolina's first points on a 3-pointer that produced a 3-2 lead before Mississippi State took over.

Derek Fountain and Stewart scored five points each during a 15-2 run that gave the Bulldogs a 17-5 lead.

Tre-Vaughn Minott's dunk ended a nearly five-minute scoring drought for the Gamecocks, but Ado's layup gave the Bulldogs a 27-11 lead.

South Carolina scored the next four points and Justin Minaya and Nathan Nelson added consecutive 3-pointers to reduce the deficit to 35-23.

Stewart answered with a 3-pointer with two seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 38-23 lead at halftime.

--Field Level Media