STARKVILLE, Miss. – Auburn's DeYona Gaston had her 10th game of the season with 20-plus points, but a big Mississippi State run in the second quarter led the Bulldogs to a 96-56 win Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum.
Gaston led all scorers with 26 points, but it was not enough to overcome a Bulldog team that shot a season-high 62.3 percent from the floor and also controlled the paint and the boards.
Meanwhile, Auburn shot 34.4 percent, a season-low, and was out-rebounded 44-23. State scored 56 of their 96 points in the paint and also knocked down eight 3-pointers.
Celia Sumbane added 10 points for the Tigers, and Mar’Shaun Bostic had five assists.
Auburn trailed by just two at the end of the first quarter, 15-13, and the teams traded buckets to open the second. But the Tigers went cold and MSU took advantage, scoring 24 straight before Gaston ended the drought with 2:00 to play. State would then score the final seven points of the half to lead 48-17 at the break.
A 25-point third quarter for the Tigers matched their best in an SEC game this season, but State bolstered their lead with a 35-point output to lead 83-42 after three.
Five players scored in double-figures for State, led by 15 apiece from Jerkaila Jordan and Eniya Russell.
Auburn closes out January at home Sunday afternoon when the Tigers host the Florida Gators. Game time is 2 p.m. at Neville Arena; it’s the annual We Back Pat game for Alzheimer’s awareness.