Starkville, MS (My Sportsbook) - Novar Gadson scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Rider Broncs provided an early upset over the 18th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs, 88-74, in the first game of the 2009-10 season for both schools.

Mike Ringgold added 21 points and six boards for the Broncs (1-0), who came into the game as double-digit underdogs and beat the Bulldogs for the first time in school history. Ryan Thompson and Justin Robinson added 16 and 15 points, respectively, as Rider recovered from an early 11-2 deficit to post the surprising victory.

Both teams made 10 three-pointers, but Rider was much more effective doing so, needing only 16 shots. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, needed 27 long distance shots to convert 10.

Jarvis Varnado paced Mississippi State (0-1) with 22 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks, and Dee Bost had 14 points and seven assists for the Bulldogs, who won the SEC Tournament last year before falling to Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Broncs, leading by two at halftime, surged ahead even further in the second half.

"We knew they had a lot of talent, but we have a strong-willed group," said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey said. "I wasn't afraid to take them on the road into this environment. I actually think the ring ceremony was fuel. To be honest we played harder than they did and that took their crowd out of it."

Rider scored the first four points of the second half to take a 48-42 lead, and the underdogs moved ahead by 12 near the midway point thanks to an 8-0 burst. A free throw by Ringgold started the run, and Jonathon Thompson's layup with 10:41 left made it a 67-55 game.

Mississippi State could not recover, getting only to within nine, 72-63, after a layup by Varnado with 6:57 to go. Rider quickly answered with a three- pointer by Gadson to restore a 12-point cushion, and the Broncs' double-digit lead lasted until a three-pointer by the Bulldogs' Phil Turner with 57 seconds left.

It was too little too late, as Rider made six consecutive free throws down the stretch to seal the upset win.

"Everybody understands now how good Rider is. They were better than us tonight," Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said. "We did some things that added to them being successful, and we didn't have any answers for them in the second half."

The game looked like a blowout early, as Mississippi State stormed out to an 11-2 lead on a jump shot from Ravern Johnson two minutes into the game.

The Bulldogs maintained a modest lead until late in the first half, leading 35-27 with just under five minutes left, but Rider put together a run to move in front at halftime.

A 13-4 stretch saw the Broncs forge ahead by a point, 40-39, with 1:18 left. Gadson and Ryan Thompson drilled consecutive three-pointers to start the surge, and Robinson ended it with another basket from beyond the arc.

Rider ended the first half ahead, 44-42.

Game Notes

The two teams played only one other time, with Mississippi State recording a win at the 1979-80 Senior Bowl Tournament at South Alabama...The Broncs went 19-13 last season...Varnado now has 401 career blocked shots, 11 shy of Shaquille O'Neal's SEC record.