There was uncertainty entering the season for Mississippi State basketball. All-SEC forward Tolu Smith suffered an offseason injury and his original timeline suggested he wouldn't be back until conference play.

With a tough nonconference schedule, how would MSU fare without its star?

In perhaps the toughest nonconference game of the season − with Mississippi State facing Big Ten member Rutgers at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday − the Bulldogs provided an answer. MSU has fared just fine, and fittingly, Jimmy Bell Jr. was the leader in the Bulldogs' 70-60 win.

Bell, who transferred from West Virginia to MSU in the offseason expecting to be Smith's backup, collected 17 points and 18 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

"He was terrific," Bulldogs coach Chris Jans said on the team's postgame radio show. "He was our anchor today."

Along with another double-double from forward Cameron Matthews and a typical defensive effort from a Jans-coached team, MSU (10-2) collected its sixth neutral court win.

Rebounding, clean play keep Mississippi State in it early

The Bulldogs had a stretch of 11 straight missed field goals in the first half, yet the deficit never got worse than five. Rebounding was a big reason as MSU had a 22-13 edge in the half.

Bell accounted for six rebounds in the first half, including four offensive boards. He entered the game third in the SEC with 8.6 rebounds per game. Florida forward Tyrese Samuel leads the conference with an average of 8.8 rebounds per game.

Bell's presence inside also created a tough afternoon for Rutgers center and captain Clifford Omoruyi who battled foul trouble. He picked up his fourth foul before the first media timeout in the second half, forcing him to sit out a crucial stretch during which MSU pulled away. He fouled out with three points and no rebounds.

While MSU turned it over nine times in the first half, after three turnovers against North Texas on Sunday, the Bulldogs had clean play on the defensive end. Mississippi State committed just four fouls in the first half, never allowing Rutgers (7-4) to get into the bonus.

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What’s next on Mississippi State’s schedule?

MSU closes nonconference play on Dec. 31 (2 p.m., SEC Network+) with a home game against Bethune-Cookman. Unlike last season, the Bulldogs go into the holiday break with a win.

"I know my wife and kids are at home watching this game and they are so relieved and so overjoyed," Jans said. "Family back in Iowa is just so excited that they don't have to deal with me after a loss. Last year, we had the loss going into the break, and I wasn't a lot of fun even though I gave myself pep talks that it wasn't their fault and I needed to best cheery, merry and get into the season."

The Bulldogs then will have a week off before traveling to South Carolina for a nationally televised game on Jan. 6 (11 a.m., CBS).

The Gamecocks will likely present a Quadrant 1 opportunity for Jans’ squad.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State basketball: Jimmy Bell Jr. leads win vs Rutgers