Arkansas Razorbacks at Mississippi State Bulldogs

No. 18 Arkansas beats Mississippi State 65-61

But the Razorbacks still had their defense. And after 40 minutes of pressure and fighting and clawing, they managed to claim their sixth straight victory.

No. 18 Arkansas rallied to beat Mississippi State 65-61 on Saturday, holding the Bulldogs scoreless for a crucial 6-minute stretch late in the game. Rashad Madden led the Razorbacks (22-5, 11-3 SEC) with 16 points and Michael Qualls added 14, but the real reason for the win was on the defensive end.

"We found a way to escape," Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. "That's what you've got to do. It wasn't very pretty but I've never seen an ugly win."

Mississippi State (12-15, 5-9) looked as if it had a good chance to pull the upset until its offense fell apart down the stretch. The Bulldogs went nearly 8 minutes without a field goal until Craig Sword made a 3-pointer with 33.1 seconds remaining to cut the Razorbacks' lead to 60-57.

Mississippi State pulled to 61-59, but Arkansas' Anton Beard had a crucial steal with 12 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Sword led Mississippi State with 15 points. Gavin Ware added 13 points and nine rebounds, but the Bulldogs couldn't overcome 23 turnovers.

"I'm frustrated by the fact we lost this game," Mississippi State coach Rick Ray said. "I think we're doing some really good things on the court, but we've got to figure out a way to win a ball game like this."

It was a much more competitive game than the first matchup between these two teams. Arkansas embarrassed Mississippi State in Fayetteville on Feb. 7, taking a 30-9 halftime lead and cruising to the victory.

The game was feisty early, especially after Arkansas' Jacorey Williams was called for a flagrant foul after a hard hit on Mississippi State's Roquez Johnson when he was going up for a fast-break dunk. The Bulldogs shot 13 of 29 (44.8 percent) in the first half, led by Ware's eight points and seven rebounds.

Arkansas looked as if it might take control early in the second half, jumping out to a 40-36 lead, but Mississippi State stayed close until the end. The Bulldogs shot just 9 of 24 (37.5 percent) in the second half.

Four Arkansas players scored in double figures, which helped overcome the relatively slow night for Portis, who is averaging nearly 18 points per game this season.

"We're very deep and on any given night any player can pick up the slack for another player," Qualls said.

TIP-INS

Arkansas: The Razorbacks have won eight of their last 12 road games in conference play dating to last season. Arkansas has won nine of its last 10 overall.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs' starting point guard I.J. Ready didn't play Saturday because of an ankle injury suffered against Ole Miss on Thursday night.

UP NEXT

Arkansas hosts Texas A&M on Tuesday night.

Mississippi State hosts Kentucky on Wednesday night.

How can I watch Arkansas vs. Mississippi State?

• TV Channel: Arkansas at Mississippi State 2021 College Basketball, week 15, is broadcasted on FOXNET.
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