FAYETTEVILLE — When a teammate gets suspended with just seven regular-season games remaining, it is impossible to predict how a team will react.

This week, Charles Thomas broke a team rule and sat out Wednesday night’s game against Mississippi State, and what the Arkansas Razorbacks did was make it addition by subtraction.

Michael Washington and Vincent Hunter stepped in and up, especially on defense, and when Hunter drilled a threepointer from near NBA range to make it 59-45, Walton Arena started rocking.

The Razorbacks opened the second half sloppier than a freshman dorm room (boys, of course ), missing their first eight shots, and by the time Sonny Weems rebounded his own miss and put it back, Mississippi State had closed the 15-point first-half deficit to seven.

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Weems followed that with a three as the Razorbacks settled into a routine of making two free throws or hitting a three, and with 6: 54 to play they led 63-50.

Gary Ervin, who had played well against his former team, threw a bad pass and then was called for blocking, giving the visitors two free throws.

MSU turned up the heat on defense, but the Hogs got saved by a foul and Stefan Welsh made two free throws. Steven Hill, who has been much more aggressive the past four games, got a tough rebound, drew the foul and made one of two free throws, but Patrick Beverley grabbed the rebound.

Hill almost had a tip-in but was called for goaltending. He then blocked a shot, controlled it, and that resulted in a hog-calling dunk by Weems and a timeout with 4: 41 to play with the home team leading 68-52.

Arkansas sometimes seems to shoot too quickly when it needs to burn time, and MSU pulled within 70-58. But Washington was all net on a three-point attempt, Beverley followed that with his three-pointer, and it was time to break out the bows. This one was all wrapped up.

The Razorbacks moved to 4-2 in SEC play with the 78-58 victory and pulled within one game of the Bulldogs for first place in the SEC West.

MSU’s first SEC loss of the season, which also stopped a nine-game winning streak, had to be humbling for a team that just thumped archrival Ole Miss 88-68.

This might have been the best two halves of basketball the Razorbacks have played, especially against a quality opponent, but this one was won as much in the first half as the second, when the Razorbacks fed off the 17, 927 loyalists.

Although it took several minutes and a key steal for the Razorbacks to get in a groove. At the first TV timeout, you would have thought someone left the doors open. Bud Walton was colder than a Toronto snowstorm. The Bulldogs and Hogs were a combined 1 of 14 from the field, and the Razorbacks led 3-0 after 4: 31 of play. Jamont Gordon found the range for MSU and scored 10 consecutive points for an 11-7 lead, but something significant was about to happen. After Darian Townes scored, Beverley quickly and quietly picked Gordon’s pocket after the inbounds pass and banked it in for the tie. Before you could say woo pig, the Hogs were running and stunning.

Weems scored 10 unanswered and consecutive points, and the Hogs were off to the races, taking a 43-28 lead into the dressing room at the break.

The reason the Razorbacks controlled the first half was simple: They were playing better defense than MSU, which is known for its defense.

In the first half, the Bulldogs suffered 13 turnovers. The Hogs converted those into 18 points while committing only five turnovers themselves.

This was a huge victory for the Razorbacks, who cannot afford to stumble at home if they want to go into the SEC Tournament looking to help their NCAA Tournament seed instead of trying to get on the fence.

Wednesday night, facing the absence of a teammate, the Razorbacks chose to make it addition by subtraction.