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Mississippi State women's basketball gets revenge against Chattanooga

State stayed undefeated with Sunday afternoon victory.

By Andrew Miller

Feb 25, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Mississippi State head coach Sam Purcell yells to his team during the game with Alabama at Coleman Coliseum Sunday.
Feb 25, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Mississippi State head coach Sam Purcell yells to his team during the game with Alabama at Coleman Coliseum Sunday. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Mississippi State women's basketball defeated Chattanooga 69-44 in Starkville Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs got revenge for their loss to the Mocs last season, and they now sit at 4-0 on the year.

Mississippi State was in command on defense

The Bulldogs have been strong on the defensive end of the court so far this season, and that continued against the Mocs. Chattanooga shot just 27% from the floor and 24% from distance. State forced 19 turnovers (resulting in 19 points the other way) and only allowed Chattanooga to get to the free throw line nine times. Obviously the Mocs were severely outmatched, and they've not been great offensively this season outside of this game. But the Bulldogs continue to do exactly what they should on defense against these lesser opponents.

Eniya Russell is establishing herself as the Top Dawg

Eniya Russell was one of the biggest transfers Sam Purcell landed this offseason, and she's been incredibly impressive early in the year. Russell led all scorers on Sunday with 19 points on 7-13 shooting. She's been the most consistent piece on offense to this point, and I think it's fair to say she's establishing herself as the leader of this team on that end of the court. She's averaging 16.7 PPG on an impressive 60% shooting. Jerkaila Jordan and Debreasha Powe are obviously the veterans on this roster and will still be leaned on, but I think it's trending towards Russell being the go-to bucket-getter.

The Bulldog offense still needs some work

Beyond Russell, State isn't quite where they'd like to be on offense. They shot a pretty mediocre 42% from the floor and were an awful 3-17 from three. They were fantastic about getting to the line and converting (20-21), but it was by no means a clean game on that end. The Mocs have had a solid defense this season, but you'd want more from the Bulldogs. And that's been the case for a few games now. The good news is State still has some time to sort things out before the schedule ramps up.

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