Mississippi State women’s basketball smothers Kennesaw State in dominant win
By Ethan Lee
Sam Purcell and his Mississippi State basketball team took care of business Monday evening as they bounced back in a dominant win over Kennesaw State.
The Mississippi State women’s basketball team (9-2 overall, 0-0 SEC) needed to get back on track and Monday night’s home game against Kennesaw State (3-5 overall, 0-0 ASUN) was a great way to bounce back in impressive fashion. Sam Purcell and his Mississippi State basketball team absolutely demolished the Kennesaw State Owls to the tune of 91-50 in the Hump.
The Bulldogs dominated from start to finish in Starkville as they set the tone with a smothering defense early on. The Bulldogs sprinted out to a 26-11 lead after the first quarter.
Of course, when you’re shooting 9-15 from the field (60 percent) and manage to go 3-4 from behind the three point line all in the first quarter, it’s not just your defense that is playing well. The Bulldogs’ offense overpowered the Owls from the start of this contest.
Jessika Carter, back from injury, led the charge for Mississippi State. She was simply unstoppable against Kennesaw State as Mississippi State’s leader demonstrated that she is one of the most talented athletes in the country.
Mississippi State basketball: Bulldogs bounce back by smothering Kennesaw State Owls in Starkville
And she’s a huge reason why the Mississippi State women’s basketball team was able to get this dominant win. 31 points on a hyper-efficient 14-19 shooting. That’s just remarkably. Pair that with a game-high 13 rebounds and you get the eye-popping double-double. Carter was simply too much for the outmatched Owls.
Right alongside Carter was Jerkaila Jordan, who did plenty of damage of her own, putting up 19 points, grabbing four rebounds, and recording four steals. Erynn Barnum was the third Bulldog in double digits scoring with 11 points in an impressively efficient 19 minutes of playing time.
That’s not bad.
On the defensive side, Mississippi State routinely proved to be a problem for Kennesaw State’s offense. The Bulldogs were outstanding in their effort as the Owls only managed to make 20 field goals in the entire game.
Kennesaw State shot 31.3 percent for the game and 16.7 percent from behind the three point line.
On top of that, Mississippi State managed to force 23 turnovers and also blocked a half dozen shots, making life miserable for the visiting Owls. The Mississippi State women’s basketball team scored 30 points off of turnovers and 21 fast break points.
That’s the kind of Mississippi State basketball game Sam Purcell has needed this season. Just a truly dominant showing from start to finish and with a healthy roster.
The Bulldogs will look to carry this momentum forward as they face Jackson State in the Hump on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.