Mississippi State women's basketball took a trip to the Cayman Islands for Thanksgiving Weekend, and it went as well as you could have asked for. The Bulldogs went 2-0 in the Cayman Islands Classic, defeating Utah and South Florida. MSU is now 8-0 on the season.
Bulldogs hold on for win over Utah
State's first win in the Cayman Islands Classic was certainly anxiety inducing for Bulldog fans. MSU came out on fire against Utah with some of the best offensive play they've had all season while maintaining the defense we've come to expect. They led 43-22 at the break following a 55% shooting performance.
State cooled off considerably after halftime, but with their defense they still held a 17 point lead entering the 4th quarter. That's when things got ugly. A flurry of turnovers and fouls allowed the Utes to come all the way back to take the lead with 1:23 left. With 28 seconds remaining, Madina Okot, who led with 15 points and eight boards, would convert a 3-point play to put State back in front. The MSU defense would hold, and State got the 66-62 win.
Mississippi State grinds out win over South Florida
Against South Florida, it was much more of a back and forth game throughout. MSU had another rough shooting performance at 38.6%, going a poor 2-13 from three. But their own defense held strong once again, keeping the Bulls in check at 36.7%. After trailing by two at the break, State shutdown USF in the 3rd quarter to grad the lead, and they'd build on that just enough in the final frame for a 59-52 win.
The Bulldogs won in nearly every key category. They committed fewer turnovers and got 15 more points off turnovers. They made nine more free throws. Those factors alone are why they won. But despite being outrebounded, they finished with more second chance points too. In a tight game, they made the plays to win.
Mississippi State women's basketball deserves to be ranked in Top 25
It's time for Mississippi State women's basketball to enter the Top 25 rankings. The Bulldogs are undefeated and now own a pair of solid wins to go along with their blowout victories from earlier in the year. In fact, that Utah win is more than solid considering the Utes just upset #3 Notre Dame. State still has a long way to go in terms of finding consistency on the offensive end, but their body of work to this point is that of a Top 25 team.