JACKSON — Mississippi State was in another too-tight game at halftime, seemingly on the way to its third straight close call against a mid- or low-major opponent with just a seven-point lead after 20 minutes against Central Michigan.

But after a locker room discussion in which the Bulldogs emphasized defense and forcing turnovers, MSU came out on fire in the second half, not allowing a point for nearly five minutes. The Bulldogs scored the first 14 points out of the break and pulled away from the Chippewas for an 83-59 victory Tuesday night at Mississippi Coliseum.

“Trust me, before the game, it was about defense too. And we didn’t play bad defense in the first half,” MSU head coach Chris Jans said. “But we hadn’t turned them over. That was the thing we were a little disappointed with. Our help defense wasn’t as strong, our traps weren’t as handsy. That opened the game up as we got some turnovers to start the second half. It started with just being more frenetic on the ball and guys being more aggressive with their traps.”

Just as they had in wins over Prairie View A&M and McNeese that were still in doubt until the closing minutes, the Bulldogs (10-1) started slow against Central Michigan (5-5), which took an early 7-1 lead. But MSU started to see some outside shots fall and soon settled into a rhythm. Claudell Harris connected on a pair of early 3-pointers to put the Bulldogs in front for good.

Those shots were part of a 21-3 run that lasted roughly nine minutes, and Harris hit two more 3-pointers less than 30 seconds apart to restore MSU’s double-digit lead late in the half. Harris, making his first start since Nov. 28 against UNLV, led all scorers with 19 points and finished the night 5-for-8 from distance.

“It feels great to start and hear your name called at the beginning of the game,” Harris said. “But at the end of the day, I’m just trying to win. Our team is just trying to win, and it’s about who’s out there when it really matters.”

The Chippewas closed the gap before the half, knocking in two open 3-pointers and using an 8-0 run to cut their deficit to five. But the Bulldogs began pounding the ball inside inside in the second half, taking advantage of Central Michigan 7-foot center Hunter Harding sitting on the bench with foul trouble. Harding’s MSU counterpart, Michael Nwoko, had seven points in the first three minutes of the second half and tied a season high with 18 for the game.

Nwoko played just 17 minutes — Jans has said he tires easily and needs his rest — but he has been a productive post player for the Bulldogs when on the floor, averaging 8.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in less than 16 minutes of action per game.

“At the end of the day, I trust what Coach Jans has (planned) for me and the rest of the team,” Nwoko said. “Big shoutout to my teammates. I wouldn’t have had those points if it wasn’t for them. Shoutout to all the guards, all the forwards, everyone who came out tonight and played.”

Big games from Harris and Nwoko helped MSU win comfortably despite an off night from Josh Hubbard, who was just 3-for-12 from 3-point range. The Bulldogs’ leading scorer was playing less than a 20-minute drive from his hometown of Madison.

MSU’s other starter from the Magnolia State, forward Cameron Matthews, had about the most productive scoreless game imaginable — he pulled down 10 rebounds, dished out seven assists, drew five fouls and added two steals.

“I don’t ask the players this, but I know how the coaches feel, and it’s just more comfortable when he’s on the floor,” Jans said. “Not many guys can say they played pretty well and go 0-for-3 from the field and 0-for-4 from the free throw line. I know he’ll be disappointed with that because he had been shooting free throws much better, but he’s our heartbeat. He’s our guy who we lean on for his energy, for his toughness, for his ability and willingness to speak up.”

RJ Melendez, making his fourth consecutive start, limped to the bench after inbounding the ball in the first half but returned soon after, turning two of his three steals into fast-break dunks. He helped the Bulldogs score 16 points off 11 Chippewas turnovers, and MSU outscored Central Michigan 44-16 in the paint. The Bulldogs turned the ball over just five times, and Hubbard improved his assist-to-turnover ratio for the season to an impressive 39-3.

MSU has a big opportunity coming up Saturday with a trip to Memphis, a game that will be televised nationally on CBS.

“If you’d asked me by our recent play against Prairie View and against McNeese, it didn’t look like we were ready,” Jans said. “When we played against Pittsburgh, we looked a lot different that night than we did in the couple games following. Ready or not, we’re going to get a taste of it Saturday.”