GAME NOTES: The Mississippi State Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers open SEC play on Wednesday night, as the teams square off at Humphrey Coliseum.

Tennessee holds a commanding 78-41 lead in the all-time series with the Bulldogs, but the series is even (27-27) in Starkville.

Mississippi State closed out its non-conference schedule with a surprising 62-55 victory over Florida State last Friday. I.J. Ready netted 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while Travis Daniels contributed 12 points and five rebounds for the victors.

The Bulldogs trailed by three at halftime, but wound up shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 11-of-11 at the free throws after the break. They also held a 40-26 scoring advantage in the paint and a 24-8 edge in bench scoring.

The outcome came just three days after the Bulldogs lost at home to McNeese State by 19 points, which was the club's sixth loss in seven games following a promising 5-0 start.

Defense has always been stellar for Mississippi State, which is giving up just 57.8 ppg. Being stingy at that end is a must considering the squad does not have a go-to scorer.

Three Bulldogs are averaging double figures, but none are considered explosive playmakers. Fred Thomas and Roquez Johnson are both sitting at 10.8 ppg, with Gavin Ware's 10.4 ppg rounding out the set.

Tennessee has also been stout on the defensive side of things, especially lately. The Vols have given up just 54.8 ppg during a four-game win streak, albeit against lesser competition.

They last played on New Year's Eve when they defeated East Tennessee State, 71-61, upping their record to 8-4 overall. Armani Moore registered a double- double with 13 points and 12 rebounds and added seven assists as well, while Josh Richardson accounted for a team-high 19 points.

East Tennessee State actually opened the game with a 13-0 run, but the Vols were within one at halftime and ran away with it by shooting 59.1 percent from the field in the second half.

Richardson leads Tennessee in scoring this season with 16.5 ppg. and Kevin Punter has contributed 10.5 ppg. The Vols are currently shooting 44.9 percent from the field and averaging 66.3 ppg. Tennessee will need to improve its free-throw shooting, as it is connecting on just 65.5 percent of its attempts.

The Vols are ahead in the turnover department (+3.3), and they average the least amount of turnovers per game in the SEC (11.3).

Both teams unleash similar styles coming into Wednesday's conference opener, one that is expected to be low-scoring and decided down the stretch. Give the edge to Mississippi State fresh off a rebuilding win against the Seminoles.