Mississippi State @ Arkansas preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 2, 2018 ) Arkansas 75, Mississippi State 78

Arkansas returns home looking to end a two-game losing streak when it hosts Mississippi State Saturday night in an SEC contest. The Bulldogs come into the game off an 81-62 win over Alabama, although they've lost three of their last five, while the Arkansas fell to South Carolina and Missouri on the road in the last week after winning three straight.

The guard duo of senior Quinndary Weatherspoon (18.0 points) and junior Lamar Peters (12.8, 5.5 assists) powers the Mississippi State offense, with the two combining for 42 points in the win over Alabama. The Bulldogs lead the SEC in 3-point percentage, hitting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc, with five different players having made at least 20 3-pointers and shooting better than 35 percent. Sophomore forward Daniel Gafford leads the high-powered Arkansas attack, averaging 16.9 points and 8.7 rebounds, while freshman guard Isaiah Joe adds 14.2 points and is hitting 43.9 percent from 3-point range with a league-best 86 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Mason Jones is an all-around threat for coach Mike Anderson, leading the Razorbacks in free-throw percentage (80.7 percent) while ranking second in rebounding (4.3) and assists (73) and third in scoring (13.7)

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (17-7, 5-6 SEC): Freshman Reggie Perry has emerged for the Bulldogs since being re-inserted into the starting lineup by coach Ben Howland, averaging 14.5 points and 9.3 rebounds in 30.3 minutes per contest. Three of those four games have ended with double-doubles for the 6-10 forward, including 14 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Alabama Tuesday. Perry's resurgence has meant less time for the man he replaced in the starting five, senior Aric Holman, who was averaging 11.5 points before the move but has scored a total of 15 in the four games - including two outings with no points.

ABOUT ARKANSAS (14-10, 5-6): The Razorbacks have been taking care of the ball lately, but it hasn't helped the team's success. Arkansas had 14 turnovers against South Carolina and then 12 against Missouri but lost both games, the first two times this season the Razorbacks committed fewer than 15 turnovers and lost. The key for Arkansas, which ranks second in the SEC with 16.63 forced turnovers a game, has been those opposition miscues as Missouri committed 24 in losing to the Razorbacks in late January but had just 11 in its most recent win.

TIP-INS

1. The Bulldogs rank second in the SEC in blocked shots in conference play with 5.4 per game.

2. Arkansas G Jalen Harris is second in the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.4) and fourth in assists per game (5.8).

3. The Razorbacks lead the all-time series between the two schools 33-28, though Mississippi State has won the last three meetings.

PREDICTION: Arkansas 81, Mississippi State 77