Moultrie, No. 22 Mississippi St beat Auburn 91-88

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The first 3-pointer was within the flow of the offense, but the next two were executive decisions by Dee Bost.

The high-arching shots splashed through the hoop, Humphrey Coliseum erupted and No. 22 Mississippi State was on its way to a 91-88 victory over Auburn on Saturday afternoon.

"I was feeling it so I just pulled it," Bost said.

It was that kind of shooting night for Mississippi State.

Arnett Moultrie led the team with 21 points and Renardo Sidney added 17 as the Bulldogs won for the fifth time in seven games.

While the big men were productive, it was Bost's three consecutive 3-pointers to open the second half that turned Mississippi State's 44-43 halftime deficit into a 52-44 lead. The Bulldogs never trailed again, shooting a torrid 60.4 percent (29 of 48) from the field, including 63.2 percent (12 of 19) from 3-point range.

That kind of shooting touch usually indicates an easy game. But Mississippi State still had to sweat out the final minutes due to some missed free throws and defensive lapses.

"We got the ball around the hole a bunch and we got fouled a bunch," Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said. "We just didn't make our (free throws) and get separation like we needed to."

Bost finished with 15 points, making 4 of 6 from beyond the 3-point line while also adding seven assists. Rodney Hood added 11.

Mississippi State (18-5, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) got off to a good start on its three-game homestand that continues Thursday against rival Mississippi. But Auburn made things interesting in the final minutes — and Mississippi State seemed almost intent on helping the Tigers back into the game.

Hood got a technical foul while Bost and Moultrie fouled Auburn shooters on 3-point attempts. The Bost foul was particularly harmful, because it meant he fouled out 3:26 remaining. The Bulldogs don't have another healthy true point guard, making do with Brian Bryant and Steele handling the responsibilities.

Then there was the Bulldogs' sometimes shaky defense.

"Offensively, Auburn can get on a roll, and they got on a roll tonight," Stansbury said. "They got to the free throw line against us more than any other team (this season) and that's a bad stat."

Auburn (13-10, 3-6) was led by Varez Ward, who scored a season-high 24 points off the bench. Kenny Gabriel added 22 points and 11 rebounds.