GAME NOTES: The surging LSU Tigers take a three-game win streak into Humphrey Coliseum for Saturday's SEC matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

LSU is firmly in the logjam that's chasing undefeated Kentucky in the SEC. While Kentucky figures to easily take the crown, the Tigers are one of four teams at 5-2 in league play, just waiting for the Wildcats to slip.

The Tigers' recent successful run included two wins on the road at Florida and Vanderbilt, followed by a home win over South Carolina on Wednesday. Trailing by one, 58-57, with under two minutes to play, LSU scored the final seven points of the contest to pull out the victory.

Tim Quarterman scored the go-ahead points on a dunk, and the Tigers shot 5- of-6 from the foul line down the stretch. Quarterman finished with 16 points, Keith Hornsby added 15, Jordan Mickey finished with 14 points and Jarell Martin posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Mickey and Martin finished with six blocks apiece as well.

The Tigers have an advantage in the paint over most opponents due to the presence of Martin and Mickey. Martin leads the team and ranks third in the SEC in with 16.7 ppg, while Mickey's 15.9 points rank fifth in the league, and his team-best 10.4 rebounds per game rank second in the SEC. Junior point guard Josh Gray provides 4.7 assists per game, which is second in the league.

Mississippi State is hoping to rebound from a tough loss against in-state rival Ole Miss on Wednesday. The Bulldogs led by as many as 13 points early in the second half, only to have the Rebels come back and steal a victory despite getting outshot (56 percent to 40) and outrebounded (34-31).

The difference came at the free throw line, where Ole Miss owned a 29-6 advantage, and in turnover margin, where the Bulldogs were minus-10 (16-6).

Craig Sword netted 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including a 5-of-7 effort from behind the arc, but it all went for naught. Gavin Ware added 12 points, and I.J. Ready chipped in with 10 points in Mississippi State's second straight defeat, dropping the team to 9-11 overall and 2-5 in league play.

The Bulldogs rank last in the SEC with a 61.9 ppg scoring average, and are led by Roquez Johnson, who tallies 10.7 ppg. Ware and Fred Thomas average just under 10 ppg, while the former leads the way on the glass and ranks fifth in the conference with 7.2 rpg.

The squad has been able to hover around .500 this season thanks to a solid defensive effort, which is holding opponents to 61.8 ppg.

LSU and MSU have played a whopping 205 times over the past century. The series is tight, with the Tigers holding a relatively narrow 108-97 advantage thanks to taking the past four meetings. They are 20 games under .500 (58-38) in Starkville, but they are flying high right now and will likely eke out a fourth consecutive victory.