Mississippi State 78, Florida Atlantic 58: Roquez Johnson scored 17 points and freshman Fred Thomas added 16 as the Bulldogs cruised past the Owls in their home opener.

Trivante Bloodman collected nine points, five rebounds and seven assists and three players had at least three steals for Mississippi State, which forced 27 turnovers and held Florida Atlantic to 33.3 percent from the field.

Greg Gantt scored 17 points and Cavon Baker added 11 as the only players to reach double figures for the Owls (0-2).

The game was knotted at 14-14 with 12:01 left in the first half when the Bulldogs made their move. Bloodman and Gavin Ware scored four points apiece and Johnson converted a traditional three-point play during a 15-2 surge that put Mississippi State in control.

Johnson scored seven points and Thomas added six during a 20-3 run in the second half that pushed the lead to 73-43 with 6:09 left.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Johnson missed the opener, a 56-53 loss at Troy, due to a concussion suffered in practice. … The Bulldogs have won two of the three meetings between the teams. The schools have met in three straight seasons. … The meeting was part of the EA Sports Maui Invitational, which shifts to Hawaii next week. Florida Atlantic had the misfortune of beginning Invitational play with North Carolina before Mississippi State.