Dee Bost scored a game-high 24 points to lead four Mississippi State players in double figures and the Bulldogs held off No. 23 Florida for a 71-64 home win Saturday at Humphrey Coliseum.

Kodi Augustus and Renardo Sidney added 16 apiece for Mississippi State, and Ravern Johnson scored 15. Sidney and Johnson each grabbed eight rebounds. Bost, Augustus, Sidney and Johnson accounted for all of the Bulldogs' points.

Mississippi State (11-9, 3-3 SEC) led by as many as 10 in the first half, but couldn't hold it. After blowing a nine-point lead in the second half of Thursday's home loss to Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs didn't falter down the stretch Saturday.

Florida didn't hold its first lead until midway through the second half and were up 63-62 with 5:17 left, before missing their last six field goal attempts and going 1 for 6 from the free-throw line down the stretch.

The Gators (16-5, 5-2 SEC) were 9 of 19 from the free-throw line. Mississippi State hit 19 of 23 from the line.

Erving Walker scored 18 points to lead Florida. Vernon Macklin added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Gators.

Mississippi State has won four of five in the series.