Sophomores D.J. Stewart Jr. and Iverson Molinar combined for 39 points to lead Mississippi State to a 74-68 victory over Saint Louis in an NIT first-round game on Saturday in Frisco, Texas.

The fourth-seeded Bulldogs (16-14) advanced to the quarterfinals on Thursday and will play No. 2 seed Richmond (14-8).

Javonte Perkins led No. 1 seed Saint Louis (14-7) with a game-high 21 points but missed a 3-point attempt that would have made it a one-possession game with 28 seconds remaining.

Stewart made 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to help seal the outcome for Mississippi State, which is making its 10th overall appearance in the NIT and first since reaching the semifinals in 2018.

Stewart finished with 20 points, six assists and four rebounds while Molinar finished with 19 points and three rebounds.

The Bulldogs, whose roster includes 13 underclassmen and only two seniors, were also led by freshman Derek Fountain's 10 points. Sophomore Tolu Smith and freshman Deivon Smith had eight points each.

Saint Louis cut the deficit to 71-68 with 2:22 on a layup by Hasahn French. Both teams then combined for seven turnovers and freshman Cameron Matthews' steal helped put the game out of reach. The Bulldogs prevailed despite committing 18 turnovers.

The Billikens briefly took the lead 49-48 on a French dunk before Deivon Smith hit a 3-pointer to put Mississippi State back in front. After Saint Louis tied it at 51, Stewart scored five consecutive points and the Bulldogs would not trail again.

French had 17 points and 10 rebounds while Terrence Hargrove Jr. finished with 10 points for the Billikens. Jordan Goodwin scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half and posted six rebounds and six assists. Yuri Collins had five assists but was held to three points.

Mississippi State beat Saint Louis for the second time in three meetings all-time. The Billikens were making their first NIT appearance since 2004 and 19th overall.

--Field Level Media