UL Monroe Warhawks vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Box Score on Nov 14, 2019

Reggie Perry's 14 points and 14 rebounds led a balanced Mississippi State effort that produced a 62-45 nonconference win over Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday night in Starkville, Miss.

Robert Woodard II added 13 points while D.J. Stewart and Iverson Molinar hit for 10 apiece for the Bulldogs (3-0). Mississippi State made just 40.8 percent of its shots from the field but didn't have to shoot that well to pull away from the Warhawks (2-2).

That's because the Bulldogs clamped down on their Sun Belt Conference opponent, permitting them to hit only 35.3 percent from the field while outrebounding them 41-32. Mississippi State also created 17 turnovers and turned them into 23 points.

JD Williams scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds for UL-Monroe while Chris Efretuei and Michael Ertel chipped in 10 points each. The Warhawks got few easy points, scoring just 22 points in the paint, no points on the fastbreak and going 4 of 12 at the foul line.

The Bulldogs set an immediate tone by establishing a 9-2 lead less than four minutes into the game, forcing a UL-Monroe timeout. Perry finished the spurt by dunking in transition after Woodard stole the ball and fired a one-hand outlet pass down the floor.

The Warhawks pushed back, using their defense to get back into the game. They pulled within 14-13 on Elijah Ifejeh's layup on a nice back-cut with 9:36 left in the half. However, Mississippi State responded by holding the visitors without a point for more than four minutes while rebuilding the lead to 22-13 on a foul shot by Abdul Ado at the 5:43 mark.

Further separation occurred later in the half, the Bulldogs closing with a bang as Woodard shook free in the left corner and drilled a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left. That sent Mississippi State into the locker room with a 39-24 advantage.

Williams sank a 3-pointer with 11:13 left in the game to draw the Warhawks within 46-37, but Mississippi State pulled away with a 16-4 run that upped the lead to 21.

--Field Level Media