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Super Sunday for Women’s Hoops In 80-67 Win Against Georgia
STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the Mississippi State women’s basketball team, it was a Super Sunday indeed.
Thanks
to balanced scoring and a tough effort on the defensive end,
Mississippi State knocked off Georgia 80-67 in a Southeastern
Conference contest played in the Humphrey Coliseum.
MSU
placed three players in double figures, led by Martha Alwal with 20
points. Katia May added 17 points and Breanna Richardson collected 13.
Head
coach Vic Schaefer’s squad won back-to-back conference home games to
improve to 16-7 overall and 3-6 in conference play. Georgia fell to
15-7 and 3-6.
State has won three of its last four
in the series at home, and claimed its first back-to-back wins against
UGA since 2010. Mississippi State’s 80 points was the most it has
scored in the series since the 2004 campaign.
“We
executed and were committed to playing together today,” MSU senior
guard Katia May said. “On the defensive end, we played well. On
offense, we did a good job of getting the ball to the open person. I
felt good shooting in pre-game, so I tried to practice at places on the
floor where I could get open.”
May notched a new
career high on 6-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-2 from 3-point range.
When May was forced to the bench with foul trouble, Jerica James
provided 14 strong minutes off the bench, hitting a pair critical
3-point baskets as well. The duo had seven assists and six steals from
the point guard position.
“Katia was playing
great,” James said. “It was my job to come in and keep leading the
team. I had to make sure we weren’t making mistakes. The team was ready
to go and get the win. I am a junior, so (entering) a game like this is
not that big a deal. It’s the SEC where everybody is bigger and
stronger.
“You have to raise your game to match that play.”
Mississippi
State raised its game and put together one of its best first halves of
the season. In the opening stanza, Alwal, May and Richardson all
reached double figures. The Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field in
the first half, while also hitting its first 13 free throws of the
contest.
MSU quickly built a 17-9 lead on a jumper
by Dominique Dillingham with 12:29 left in the half. The lead grew to
12 at 23-11 after a 3-point play by Alwal.
The
host Bulldogs stretched the lead to 17 at 42-25 with 2:40 left in the
opening half, but Georgia ended the half with a 12-2 run to bring the
deficit to 44-37 at halftime.
“I am really proud
of my kids,” Schaefer said. “Give the Good Lord credit for the effort
and energy those kids played with. Georgia is really good. They have a
Hall of Fame coach. I love how we competed today. We threw the first
punch and I thought we kept punching.
“Every kid on this team today made a play when we needed it most.”
In
the second half, Georgia closed within 46-41 less than two minutes into
the half. Mississippi State responded with the game’s next eight
points, including a 3-pointer by James for a 54-41 lead with 15:49 left
in the contest.
Georgia closed within seven twice but State had the answer time and time again.
A
critical 3-pointer by Kendra Grant ran the lead to 71-61 with 3:35
left. Georgia scored on its next two possessions but got no closer.
“Savannah
(Carter) and Dominique (Dillingham) were playing so hard,” Grant said.
“It was my job to keep that up. I wanted to come in and keep things
going.”
For the contest, the Maroon & White
shot 51.9 percent (27 of 52) from the field, its best in SEC play this
season, and hit 6 of 9 shots from 3-point range (66.7 percent) and 20
of 26 shots from the foul line (76.9 percent). Georgia connected on 25
of 57 shots from the field (43.9 percent), 3 of 9 shots from 3-point
range (33.3 percent) and 15 of 15 shots from the foul line (93.3
percent).
Georgia held a 31-29 rebounding advantage. MSU had 16 assists and 17 turnovers, while Georgia had 11 assists and 21 turnovers.
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