Lady Bulldogs Squeak Out 53-47 Win Against Missouri
The Lady Bulldogs’ historic season rolls on for another week as the Bulldogs grinded out a victory against a very tough and determined Missouri Tigers squad. Missouri came into the game 10-4 and 0-1 in the SEC following a 10-point loss to Tennessee in Knoxville. The Tigers returned home to face off against red-hot Mississippi State and a Lady Bulldogs squad that is dominating game after game on their way to a perfect 16-0 record. Friday, the 17-ranked Bulldogs defeated #19 Georgia 64-56 in the Hump and took the trip to Columbia with only a win on their minds.
The team ended up having a fun time before they even took off for Columbia. Due to the strong storms Saturday afternoon across the state, the women’s team was delayed in flying to their game. They ended up being able to fly out of Starkville, but when they arrived in Columbia the ride wasn’t as smooth. Radio play-by-play man for the Lady Bulldogs, Jason Crowder, ended up describing the landing of their plane on Twitter.
That landing was so hard, we touched down twice.
— Jason Crowder (@CrowderJason) January 4, 2015
It’s usually not a good thing to touch down twice on a landing. I’m sure the team thought that would be the worst thing they would have to deal with during this trip, but Mother Nature had other plans. She decided to treat the Lady Bulldog team to a white morning.
The windchill here in Missouri is -2 and it has been snowing with a stiff wind. I wish my coat and tie were lined with and electric blanket.
— Jason Crowder (@CrowderJason) January 4, 2015
Needless to say, Mother Nature decided to be a Missouri Tigers fan today and try to dissuade the Lady Bulldog team from winning. But the Lady Bulldogs had other plans in mind as they ended up winning 53-47. The Mississippi State Women’s basketball squad was led by senior guard Jerica James who scored 17 points, and was the only player in double digits for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs only shot 29.1% from the floor and 50% from the charity stripe. If the Bulldogs have a definition for a bad game, this one certainly fits the bill. The Bulldogs more than quadrupled their assist total with turnovers. Any coach with sense will tell you that is not a good thing. But thanks to multiple huge runs, including a 17-2 run in the second half, gave the Bulldogs enough lee-way to make it out of Columbia unscathed.
Missouri junior guard Maddie Stock (averaging around 4 PPG) ended up leading the Lady Tigers in scoring as she provided 16 points. Senior Morgan Eye was the only other Tiger in double-digits as she added 10 to the point total. Statistically speaking, the Tigers should have won the game as they won nearly every statistical category, save turnovers, fouls, and FG%. The Tigers shot 30% from beyond the arc and 68.8% from the charity stripe. But it simply wasn’t enough to overcome this hot and determined Bulldog squad.
The 17-0 (2-0 SEC) Bulldogs return home Thursday to face off against an Arkansas squad that barely lost to Texas A&M by a last-second tip in. The latest Associated Press rankings will come out Monday, and the Lady Bulldogs are expected to climb further up the polls after their dominating win over #19 Georgia. Also, the Bulldogs are one of four undefeated teams left in Division I Women’s Basketball. The Arkansas vs Mississippi State matchup will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net at 8:00 PM CST.