Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Georgia Bulldogs Box Score on Dec 30, 2020

Iverson Molinar scored 24 points to lead four double-figure Mississippi State scorers in an 83-73 victory over Georgia in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams Wednesday night in Athens, Ga.

D.J. Stewart added 18 points, Deivon Smith scored 13 and Jalen Johnson had 12 as Mississippi State improved to 6-3 overall with its first victory away from home this season. Molinar made eight of 14 field goals, including four 3-pointers, and Smith and Johnson made three 3-pointers each.

P.J. Horne scored 21 points, Toumani Camara had 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Tye Fagan and Christian Brown added 10 points each to lead Georgia, 7-1.

The Bulldogs led by as many as 20 points in the first half, but Justin Kier started the second-half scoring with a jumper that pulled Georgia within 41-29.

Molinar answered with two jumpers and Tolu Smith added a layup for a 47-29 lead.

Fagan and Horne both made 3-pointers to help Georgia close within 55-45.

Georgia got within 10 points one more time before Cameron Matthews' tip-in increased Mississippi State's lead to 65-49 midway through the half.

The lead shrunk to 11 points twice, but Stewart's 3-pointer pushed it to 76-60 with less than four minutes remaining.

The Bulldogs maintained a double-figure lead until Andrew Garcia's layup got Georgia within 81-73 with 1:09 left.

Molinar started the scoring with a 3-pointer and Stewart followed with a jumper and Mississippi State was off and running.

Horne scored Georgia's first points with a 3-pointer, but Johnson answered with a 3-pointer of his own.

Georgia closed within three points twice before Deivon Smith made a 3-pointer and a layup to push the Bulldogs' lead to 15-7.

Garcia's tip-in got Georgia within 18-12 before Deivon Smith made two 3-pointers to start a 10-0 run by Mississippi State that produced a 28-12 lead.

Georgia got within 31-19 on a jumper by Horne, but Stewart made two jumpers that helped the Bulldogs extend its lead to 40-20.

Brown made a 3-pointer and Garcia beat the buzzer with a layup that helped Georgia cut the deficit to 41-27 at halftime.

--Field Level Media