Homestand Begins With Challenge For Dawgs Against Vanderbilt

Mississippi State women’s hoops is backmost successful Starkville, which is ever comforting.

Even erstwhile nan visitant arriving astatine Humphrey Coliseum conscionable happens to beryllium undefeated, classed 5th nationally and equipped pinch capable shooting to ruin a perfectly bully evening.

The Bulldogs unfastened a two-game homestand Thursday nighttime against Vanderbilt, tipping astatine 5:30 p.m. CT connected SEC Network.

The matchup brings together a State squad still searching for its footing successful convention play and a Commodores group that hasn’t stumbled erstwhile this season.

Mississippi State enters nan title astatine 14-4 wide and 1-3 successful SEC play, coming disconnected a rivalry nonaccomplishment astatine Ole Miss that offered some vexation and flashes of what this squad tin beryllium erstwhile things click.

The Dawgs didn’t fold successful Oxford — they competed — but title unsocial doesn’t move nan standings.

Vanderbilt, meanwhile, arrives pinch a spotless 17-0 grounds and a 4-0 commencement successful convention play. That benignant of résumé doesn’t request overmuch selling. It travels well, too.

Still, Starkville has seen capable SEC hoops complete nan years to cognize records don’t extremity nan ball.

This crippled is little astir fixing everything astatine erstwhile and much astir showing that Mississippi State tin drawstring together 40 minutes that look intentional, connected and stubborn capable to make an elite force uncomfortable.

That unsocial would count arsenic progress.

State leans connected balanced scoring entering SEC test

The Bulldogs don’t deficiency for contributors, moreover if nan results haven’t followed neatly successful convention play. Against Ole Miss, State had 4 players scope double figures, a reminder that this roster isn’t limited connected a azygous scorer having a cleanable night.

Madison Francis and Chandler Prater led nan measurement pinch 15 points apiece successful nan loss. Francis added 7 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals, nan benignant of all-over stat statement that tends to spell unnoticed unless you’re actively looking for it. Prater was efficient, shooting 75 percent from nan level and from three-point range.

Freshman Favour Nwaedozi continued her dependable emergence pinch 14 points and 11 rebounds, securing her eighth double-double of nan season.

It’s go regular capable to almost consciousness normal, which astir apt says much astir her consistency than thing else.

Destiny McPhaul chipped successful 12 points while starring nan squad pinch 4 assists and 2 steals, acting arsenic nan connective insubstantial that keeps possessions from drifting sideways.

Across nan season, Mississippi State has 4 players averaging astatine slightest 10 points per game. Nwaedozi and Francis some beryllium astatine 13.1 points, McPhaul averages 12.1, and Prater checks successful astatine 10.1. Jaylah Lampley is correct down them astatine 9.8, hovering conscionable beneath nan threshold.

In SEC play, Francis has taken connected an moreover larger role. She’s averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per crippled against convention opponents and leads nan SEC astatine 3.1 blocks per title overall.

She’s besides nan only freshman successful nan convention averaging much than 1 artifact per game.

Those numbers don’t guarantee thing Thursday night, but they astatine slightest springiness State a instauration to thin on.

Vanderbilt arrives pinch shooting, efficiency, patience

If Mississippi State wants to bent around, it’ll person to woody pinch a Vanderbilt squad that punishes mistakes pinch precision alternatively than theatrics.

The Commodores lead nan SEC successful three-point section goals made per crippled and rank among nan nation’s apical 10 successful that category.

They besides beryllium adjacent nan apical of nan convention successful assist-to-turnover ratio, which is usually a polite measurement of saying they don’t hit themselves.

Sophomore Mikayla Blakes headlines nan offense, averaging astir 25 points per game. She’s tin of scoring successful bunches without dominating nan ball, which makes protect readying a chore.

Justine Pissott provides nan long-range balance, starring nan SEC successful some three-point percent and makes. When those shots commencement falling, defenses thin to stretch, lanes open, and games tilt softly but firmly.

Vanderbilt doesn’t rush. It probes. It waits. And past it shoots — usually from location uncomfortable.

That’s nan situation State faces: not conscionable slowing down scoring, but disrupting hit earlier it ever settles in.

Homestand offers chance to reset convention trajectory

For nan Dawgs, this crippled is little astir rankings and much astir response. A homestand brings familiarity, regular and nan benignant of power that doesn’t ever show up connected stat sheets.

Mississippi State won’t hole its SEC grounds successful 1 night, but it tin reshape really nan adjacent agelong feels. Competing cleanly, defending pinch intent and forcing Vanderbilt to gain possessions would each suffice arsenic steps forward.

The Bulldogs person capable equilibrium to enactment progressive if they take sides and rebound pinch purpose. They’ve shown that overmuch already.

Thursday nighttime simply asks whether they tin do it against nan league’s hottest squad — astatine home, nether nan lights, pinch nary shortcuts available.

That’s SEC hoops successful January. Nothing subtle. Nothing forgiving.

Key takeaways

• Mississippi State opens a two-game homestand Thursday against unbeaten No. 5 Vanderbilt astatine Humphrey Coliseum.
• The Bulldogs characteristic balanced scoring led by Francis, Prater, Nwaedozi and McPhaul.
• Vanderbilt brings elite three-point shooting and shot information into Starkville.

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