Why the Lady Bulldogs WILL Beat Tennessee on Sunday

This Sunday at 2:00 PM CST, your #18 22-2 (7-2 SEC) Mississippi State Women’s Basketball squad will face off against the #6 18-3 (8-0 SEC) Tennessee Lady Volunteers. The game will be in Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena, which houses Pat Summitt Court “The Summitt” named after legendary Head Coach Pat Summitt. Capacity is set at 21,678, which will most likely see a lot of that filled due to the love of Women’s basketball in Knoxville. Add in the fact that this is a Top-20 matchup against two of the best teams in the SEC, and you have all the makings for a great game.

Sadly, the Lady Vols have had the Bulldogs’ number for, well, forever. The all-time series record is in favor of Tennessee 35-0. That’s right, the Lady Bulldogs have never beaten the Lady Volunteers in history. The last game, however, was a close one in the Hump. On January 16 last season, the Lady Bulldogs took Tennessee to the wire, but came up short with a 67-63 loss. This year, I have a feeling that we will finally get over the Volunteer hump. Not only that, but we will prove to the nation once and for all that we deserve to be feared in Women’s Basketball.

Now let’s look at the statistics, shall we? The Bulldogs hold the points per game advantage for the game, scoring an even 77 points every contest, compared to only 72.6 PPG for the Lady Vols. Also, the winning margin is in favor of MSU. This means that not only have the Bulldogs been scoring more points, they have also been holding their opponents further away. That spells good things for the Bulldogs. Also, the Bulldogs have made more free throws and three-pointers in a game than Tennessee. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that the Bulldogs will take the advantage there, it’s good to point to as another reason for the advantage. Also, the Bulldogs hold a commanding lead on turnover margin, forcing 8 more turnovers than they give up every game, while Tennessee’s margin is only 4.7 in the positive.

Another reason to feel confident about this game is Head Coach Vic Schaefer. Coach Schaefer knows what it takes to win a national championship. He was part of the Texas A&M staff that won the 2011 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship. He knows what it takes, and he’s building a championship-worthy program here in Starkville. If you haven’t been to a women’s game, or watched it at home, then you’re missing out on one of the greatest teams that we will see here in Starkville.

So tune in to SEC Network on Sunday at 2:00 PM CST, and be fully prepared to watch a knock-down, drag-out fight that might decide the future of this program. Oh…and if the tournament started today, the Bulldogs would be a 4-seed in the Spokane Region. Being a top-4 seed means that you host the first two rounds of the tournament. That means that the Hump would host the NCAA Tournament, and the crowds would be LOUD. So if you aren’t already excited about this team, it’s time to get excited.