STARKVILLE, Miss. – Southeastern Louisiana was within 12 of eighth-ranked Mississippi State in the second quarter before the Bulldogs pulled away for an 81-41 victory in the Lady Lions' non-conference finale Monday night in the Humphrey Coliseum.

    Southeastern (1-10) opens Southland Conference play against Stephen F. Austin Monday at 4:30 p.m. in the University Center.

    Nanna Pool finished with a game-high 18 points while Taylin Underwood added 15. Dani Fielder, making her first start of the season, had a game-high 11 rebounds but the Lady Lions were out-rebounded 60-37 while shooting 35.5 percent from the field.

    Chinwe Okorie and Victoria Vivians had 13 points each to lead Mississippi State (12-1) which won its seventh straight. Morgan William and Blair Schaefer contributed 12 points each. Okorie and Dominique Dillingham each had nine rebounds. Mississippi State shot 35.5 percent for the game and scored 30 points off 24 Southeastern turnovers.

    Pool had Southeastern's lone field goal in the first quarter, a short jumper with 4:27 left, as Mississippi State got out to a 27-12 lead. The Bulldogs ended the period on a 15-6 run, taking a 27-10 lead on a William jumper with 46 seconds left.

    Mississippi State took its biggest lead of the half at 37-17 on a 3 by Schaefer with 6:32 remaining. Southeastern responded with a 8-0 run, holding the Bulldogs scoreless over the next 5:52. Pool hit three jumpers as the Lady Lions cut the deficit to 37-25 on an Underwood free throw at the 1:35 mark. Mississippi State answered with four points in the final 40 seconds left as a Kayla Nevitt jumper made it 41-25 at the half.

    Mississippi State capitalized on seven Southeastern turnovers to widen its lead to 57-32 with 45 seconds left in the third. Fielder hit a jumper to make it a 23-point game going into the fourth.

    Southeastern did not get any closer as the Bulldogs went up 66-36 on a Schaefer 3 with 5:53 remaining.