#17 Bulldogs Knock Off #14 Texas A&M in OT 63-61
“I told you, no one can guard you.” That’s what Coach Vic Schaefer told Freshman guard Morgan William after today’s win over #14 Texas A&M 63-61. She certainly was unguardable today as she put up 16 points and 6 rebounds against a very good Aggies squad. She wasn’t the leader on the team, though, as that distinction fell with Martha Alwal as she got another double-double today. If you want to talk about an amazing game, today’s game was certainly one of those.
Let’s talk about regulation first, shall we? The Bulldogs and Aggies came out swinging tonight, as this was one of the most physical games I’ve seen in a long time for Mississippi State Basketball. This win was an emotional one for Vic Schaefer as this wasn’t only a game against his former employer, but the Bulldogs were looking for their first ever win against the Aggies. In front of an announced crowd 4,651, this Bulldogs squad put on one of the best performances of the year.
The Bulldogs were in situations that it seemed the game were lost. At one point, the Aggies had all of the momentum and led by 8. Many Bulldog fans saw flashbacks to the recent Tennessee game that saw the Bulldogs lose. But Vic Schaefer and this Bulldog team fought back and even had the lead towards the end of the game. This game was only tied for around 2 minutes, but fans were on the edge of their seats for most of this game. Excitement was everywhere throughout the whole experience.
Even though Victoria Vivians didn’t score many points, only adding 5 to her total, she hit one of the most crucial shots of the night. With less than a minute to go, Vivians ran down the baseline, got in the corner, received a pass from Morgan William, then drained a 3 to put the Bulldogs ahead by 1. The crowd became louder than it had been all night following that three, and Schaefer looked as happy as a clam. How happy was he? Let’s just say he did a full fist pump, and had one of the biggest smiles he has had on.
This team is something else, and they are accomplishing things that some thought impossible. It started with their amazing start to the season, and now they are defeating teams that they never have before. Texas A&M drops to 18-6 (6-4 SEC) while the Bulldogs rise up to 23-3 (8-3 SEC). The Bulldogs will travel to Lexington, KY to face off against #11 Kentucky. This will be important in the seeding of the Bulldogs, as they look to give the best possible resume for the NCAA Committee to look at. Top-4 seeds in the regions host the first two rounds of games of the NCAA Tournament.