Mississippi State is set for first round action in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. The 9-seed Bulldogs are out in LA to take on 8-seed Cal on Saturday. This should be a great game between two closely-matched team. How can Mississippi State secure a win?
Mississippi State needs to limit the Cal perimeter offense
The Golden Bears are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country. Guards Ionna Krimili and Lulu Twidale have each attempted 240+ threes and shoot about 38% from distance. Fellow guard Kayla Williams is not afraid to shoot either, and she's connecting on 39% of her three-point shots.
As a team, Cal shoots better than 35% from three and attempts more than 25 per game. The perimeter game is a huge part of what they do, and if Mississippi State is going to get the win, they have to limit Cal there. State's guards will need to play great defensive games.
Madina Okot needs to have a big game for the Bulldogs
Mississippi State center Madina Okot really seemed to find her groove over the back half of the season, and she enters the NCAA Tournament nearly averaging a double-double. A 6-6, she's a matchup problem for most defenses she sees, and that's especially true against a Cal team that doesn't have a player in their main rotation over 6-3.
Cal still has good size overall and is capable of rebounding and attacking the paint well. But it's a different story when you're talking about dealing with a player like Okot. Bigger centers have given the Golden Bears some trouble this season. If Okot can be a force offensively and protect the glass, State will have a great shot at a win.
Mississippi State needs to win the turnover battle
All year long we've talked about the importance for the Bulldogs to protect the basketball. So often, turnovers have cost them, committing 16.8 per game. But State is meeting a team that's actually worse at taking care of the ball. Cal commits 18.1 turnovers per game.
On the flipside, State is good at forcing turnovers on defense at 17.1 per game. Cal however, only forces 14.7. So on paper, State protects the ball better than their opponent (which is practically never the case) and does a much better job of forcing turnovers. If that holds true, especially if the Bulldogs can limit their own mistakes, I'd expect MSU to get the win.