STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- Lawrence Roberts scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as Mississippi State rallied to a 71-68 win over in-state rival Mississippi on Saturday night.
Mississippi State (20-8, 8-6 Southeastern Conference), trailing 64-63, took the lead for good on Ontario Harper's only basket with 2:12 left.
The Bulldogs secured the win with six straight free throws in the stretch, including four by Roberts.
Shane Power added 18 points for the Bulldogs, who hit 23-of-25 from the free throw line. The win secured Mississippi State's fourth consecutive 20-win season and enhanced their hopes for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Todd Abernethy had 14 points for Ole Miss (13-14, 4-10 SEC). Kendrick Fox had 13 points and Tommie Eddie added 10 for the Rebels.
Ole Miss led 41-38 at halftime after a jumper by Fox with 4:31 left. The Rebels, hitting 17-of-29 from the field, got 11 points from Abernethy to build the early lead.
The Rebels rebuilt the lead to 58-53 with 8:15 left but missed opportunities to stretch the lead by hitting only 4-of-10 from the free throw line.
Mississippi State also dominated the rebounding battle 38-19, allowing the Bulldogs to make the decisive rally.
The Bulldogs shot 21-of-43 from the field, but turned the ball over 19 times. Ole Miss finished 27-of-55 from the field, including 10-of-22 from three-point range.
