Morgan William scored a season-high 21 points, leading four Mississippi State players in double figures, and the No. 8 Bulldogs beat Florida 76-70 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams Sunday.
The Bulldogs (14-1) extended their winning streak to nine and ended Florida's 12-game winning streak.
The Gators (12-2) trailed by double digits much of the afternoon, but cut the lead to 72-68 on Carlie Needles' 3-pointer with 49 seconds to play. They couldn't get any closer and lost for the first time since Nov. 13.
Mississippi State won consecutive league openers for the first time since 1992-93. The latest one was a collective effort.
William made two 3-pointers and five free throws in the closing minutes. Leading scorer Victoria Vivians (14), Breanna Richardson (11) and Dominique Dillingham (10) also reached double figures.
Vivians reached double figures in scoring for the 14th straight game despite her worst shooting day of the season. She finished 4 of 20 from the field, including 0 for 4 from 3-point range. She managed to get to the free-throw line, though, and had 11 points by halftime.
Needles, who came off the bench and ended a 25-game consecutive starts streak, led the Gators with 17 points. With Florida chasing points in the final minutes, Needles missed two shots from behind the arc.
Ronni Williams added 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Gators, the fifth double-double of her career.
Mississippi State opened a double-digit lead in the second quarter and stayed out front the rest of the way. Florida's biggest problem was turnovers. The Gators had 20 in the first half and finished with 32.
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TIP-INS
Mississippi State: Improved to 5-0 on Sunday this season. ... Having beaten No. 20 South Florida on Wednesday, has two wins in four days in the Sunshine State. Returns to Florida for the SEC Tournament in March.
Florida: Hadn't lost since the season opener at Temple. ... Fell to 16-18 all-time in SEC openers, including 10-7 at home. ... Needles returned after missing the second half against Central Florida with back spasms.
UP NEXT
Mississippi State hosts Auburn on Thursday.
Florida plays at Tennessee on Thursday.
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