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Mississippi State Basketball: #6 Lady Bulldogs Travel to South Florida for the First Test of the Season

By Derrick Thomas

VICTORIA , BC - NOVEMBER 30: JaMya Mingo-Young #10 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs dribbles the ball against the Stanford Cardinal during the Greater Victoria Invitational at the Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA) on November 30, 2019 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images)
VICTORIA , BC - NOVEMBER 30: JaMya Mingo-Young #10 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs dribbles the ball against the Stanford Cardinal during the Greater Victoria Invitational at the Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA) on November 30, 2019 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images) /
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Mississippi State Basketball: #6 Lady Bulldogs Travel to South Florida for the First Test of the Season

The #6 Mississippi State Basketball Lady Bulldogs (2-0) will travel to Tampa to take on the South Florida Lady Bulls (1-1) in the season’s first true test. The Lady Bulldogs overmatched Jackson State University and New Orleans to start the season. South Florida will provide a different type of challenge in the first road game of the year.

The South Florida Lady Bulls are the preseason favorite to win the  American Athletic Conference. Mississippi State has a history with a previous top American Athletic Conference team, UConn. UConn has moved on to the Big East, and now South Florida has moved up to the top spot in the conference.

Jose Fernandez is in his twenty-first year on the sidelines for South Florida. Fernandez built the Lady Bulls program into a winning team over his career, including six NCAA tournament berths,  nine NIT berths, one NIT Championship in 08-09, and nine twenty-win seasons.

Scouting the South Florida Lady Bulls

Mississippi State benefited from having a superior talent advantage in their first two games. Against South Florida, the Lady Bulldogs will face a championship-caliber team for the first time this season.

The Lady Bulls defeated Jacksonville University 84-46 in their first game of the season. The Lady Bulls fell to #4 Baylor 67-62. The Lady Bulls never lead, but Baylor could not pull away.

South Florida is lead by a pair of 2nd team Preseason American Conference guards, Eliza Pizan and Elena Tsineke. While their leaders struggled against #4 Baylor, the rest of the team stepped up to keep the Lady Bulls in the game. Bethy Mununga, Syndi Harvey, and Maria Alvarez all scored in double figures and combined to shoot 9-15 from behind the arc.

Previous History and Advantages

Mississippi State and South Florida are not strangers to each other. The Bulldogs have a 2-1 record all-time against the Lady Bulls. Mississippi State defeated South Florida last year in the Duel in Desert 86-61.

The only advantage I feel South Florida really has in this game is numbers. Mississippi State only has ten healthy players, while South Florida has fifteen. Talentwise, I feel Mississippi should be able to outplay the Lady Bulls.

South Florida will have to worry about every player on the Lady Bulldogs squad because every one of these young ladies can score the basketball. Mississippi State should use that advantage to spread out the Lady Bull defense.

Mississippi State will have to rotate quickly on defense because the Lady Bulls have the ability to knock down the three-point basket.

Prediction

Rickea Jackson, Jessika Carter, and JaMya Mingo-Young will lead the Lady Bulldogs to the win tonight. The Lady Bulldogs will run the Lady Bulls ragged with the way Coach McCray-Penson likes to push the ball. My only concern is if the Lady Bulldogs get into foul trouble or  Coach Fernandez could use his numbers advantage to foul and force Mississippi State to win the game at the foul line.

Lady Bulldogs WIN in a tough game!

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