STARKVILLE, Miss. — Tennessee wanted to prove it belonged in the top 25. The Vols did just that and also took over the SEC East lead.

Tennessee’s 88-65 win over Mississippi State on Wednesday night marked its largest margin of victory in an SEC road game since an 87-63 win in Starkville in 1998.

That was also the last time the Bulldogs lost by so many points at Humphrey Coliseum.

The Vols’ win, coupled with Florida’s loss to South Carolina, moves UT (13-3, 4-1 SEC) into sole possession of the SEC East Division.

"We wanted to make a good impression,’’ said senior forward Andre Patterson, who responded to his first start in SEC play this season with 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. "We wanted to prove we belong here.

"Last year, we knocked Mississippi State out of the top 25. We didn’t want them to knock us out of the top 25.’’

The No. 19 Vols had a short-lived stay in the top 25 earlier this season when their 95-78 win over Texas was followed by an 89-73 loss to Oklahoma State.

UT’s problem then was rebounding, and that figured to be a challenge against Mississippi State (11-8, 1-5).

The Bulldogs, however, surprised many by starting a smaller lineup with hopes of limiting their turnovers.

"I think they did that because of our pressure,’’ Vols’ coach Bruce Pearl said. "When they went small, I was concerned we were too big.’’

As it turned out, Mississippi State’s lineup change played right into Tennessee’s hands.

"I thought for the first time all year long that we got whipped,’’ said Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury, who suffered the most lopsided home SEC loss of his eight-year tenure. "They beat us in every category that is possible to get beat in.’’

The Vols were in control from the onset, silencing the crowd of 6,531. The best Mississippi State could do was get even at 14-14 with 12:10 left in the first half.

A C.J. Watson 3-pointer gave UT a 29-18 lead at the 7:31 mark, and the Bulldogs were never within single digits again.

"My shoulder was feeling a lot better tonight,’’ said Watson, who scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting after making just 3 of 18 shots his previous two games. "The shots just kept falling.’’

Tennessee extended its 44-29 halftime lead to 48-29 with a 4-0 burst to open the second half, and Mississippi State was all but finished.

Bulldogs’ freshman Jamont Gordon shared team scoring honors with 15 points but fouled out with 9:25 remaining.

UT senior Stanley Asumnu was one of at least three Vols to take a turn guarding Gordon.

Asumnu, who came off the bench for the first time this season, scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He also had four rebounds and no turnovers in his 20 minutes.

"I thought Andre responded to the start and Stanley responded really, really well to coming off the bench,’’ Pearl said. "Stanley responded like you would expect a senior to.’’

Asumnu said it’s a matter of putting the team first.

"Coach Pearl made a decision and I just tried to take it as a positive,’’ Asumnu said. "I wanted to come out there and play like a starter, do the things I can do defensively and rebounding and score when I could score.

"That’s what kind of team we are. We came in here focused and took care of business.’’

The Vols play to South Carolina at 5 p.m. Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena. Already, more than 20,000 tickets have been sold.

"People coming out like that,’’ Pearl said, "that will help us win.’’

Dogbites: UT’s win ended Mississippi State’s five-game home win streak against the SEC East. ? It was the Bulldogs’ fifth consecutive double-digit loss. ? It’s the first time since 1999-2000 that MSU has lost five in a row.

Dane’s Blood: UT forward Dane Bradshaw took a hard spill moments into the game, landing on his back.

"Somehow, that affected my sinuses,’’ Bradshaw said. "I spit up some blood.’’

Lineup Change: Pearl said he’s not sure if he’ll stick with the same starting lineup for Saturday’s game.

"It depends on the matchups, but I’ve felt Andre and JaJuan (Smith) have been pushing,’’ Pearl said. "Some teams don’t get better throughout the season, and it’s been our focus to get better.

"Sometimes a lineup change can make you better.’’