STARKVILLE, Miss., Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Mario Austin scored 19 points and Ontario Harper added 14 Saturday as 24th-ranked Mississippi State recorded its fifth victory in six games with an 84-54 rout of Arkansas.
Austin and Harper collected five points apiece during the opening 6:20 of the contest, during which the Bulldogs (15-5, 5-4 SEC West) outscored the Razorbacks, 20-7.
After Arkansas' Michael Jones made a three-pointer, Mississippi State embarked on a 17-3 outburst over the next 4 1/2 minutes. Winsome Frazier tallied seven points during the surge and Lincoln Smith capped it, converting a pair of free throws with 7:55 left in the first half and opening a 37-13 cushion.
Freshman Eric Ferguson paced Arkansas with 13 points. But the Razorbacks (7-12, 2-6) dropped their 13th straight road game, including all six this season.
