Mississippi State women's basketball opened SEC Tournament play with an emphatic 75-55 win over the Missouri Tigers. The Bulldogs, now 21-10 on the season, secured their first round victory behind a remarkably dominant stretch of play in the second half.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs put together one of the most impressive stretches of basketball you will ever see against Missouri
Throughout the first half and opening minutes of the second half, the Tigers looked like they were going to be too much for the Bulldogs. They were getting open looks and hitting them while State was struggling to find consistency on the offensive end. Mizzou led by as much as 14.
Then, something almost unimaginable happened. Down 47-36 with 6:44 to go in the third quarter, Mississippi State proceeded to go on a 31-0 run over the span of 12 minutes. During that stretch, the Bulldogs made 12-17 shots while the Tigers missed 18-straight and committed 11 turnovers.
State went from down double-digits to ahead by 20. It was some of the most dominant basketball possible, and if State can capture some of the fire they had from that stretch and apply it to their upcoming games, they can do special things.
Destiney McPhaul had her breakout game for the Bulldogs
Jerkaila Jordan led MSU as usual, Madina Okot had a strong performance, and Eniya Russell continued to be an impact player. But guard Destiney McPhaul shined the brightest on Wednesday night in Greenville.
The Philly-native JUCO-transfer had the best game of her debut season in Starkville with 19 points on 7-9 shooting, including going 4-5 from three. Her biggest shot came at the end of the third quarter when her attempt from the SEC logo went through the net at the buzzer, in what felt like a kill-shot to the Tigers.
Destiney McPhaul from DEEP‼️ @HailStateWBK pic.twitter.com/wOTlWoPGcT
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 6, 2025
It was the type of big-time performance that stands out in March. Unfortunately, McPhaul exited the game with an injury in the final minute after falling down awkwardly, needing to be assisted off the court. Hopefully the prognosis is nothing serious and she can return quickly for the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State women's basketball is NCAA Tournament bound
After this win, there's no more discussion to be had - Mississippi State is a lock for the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. The Bulldogs entered the SEC Tournament just above the bubble as a projected 9-seed, but a neutral site loss to a bad Mizzou team at this point in the season would have knocked them right back into uneasy territory.
Now, there's no concern. MSU is dancing and can use the their time in Greenville to ideally improve their seeding. Their next opportunity comes Thursday night in a rivalry rematch against Ole Miss.