Mississippi State women's basketball handles Alabama State without breaking a sweat

Mississippi State basketball moved to 3-0 with a lopsided win over Alabama State, 83-29. There's not much to takeaway after beating an objectively terrible Lady Hornets team, but here are a few thoughts from the game...

Mississippi State women's basketball completely shut down Alabama State

Alabama State couldn't do anything offensively against the Bulldogs, as would seem obvious given they scored just 29 points. The Lady Hornets shot just 22.5% from the floor and 18% from three. They only attempted 49 field goals the entire game. Mississippi State forced 26 turnovers, turning those into 36 points. They also recorded 15 steals. ASU scored just a single point in the 3rd quarter. It's not the most impressive thing considering the level of competition, but you have to be pleased with the dominance.

Terren Ward makes her first impact as a Bulldog

Terren Ward was one of the top transfers Mississippi State landed. Ward was a 1st Team All-Sun Belt played for Georgia Southern, averaging 22 points and nine rebounds last season. But we saw very little of her in State's first two games. She played just four minutes against Memphis and didn't play against Alcorn State. Today, we saw more of what she has to offer. In 14 minutes, Ward scored 14 off of a 3-4 performance from behind the arc and going 5-6 at the line. She also added eight rebounds. It's unclear why Ward didn't see much action in the first two games, but she's clearly an incredibly talented player. Hopefully, we see more of her going forward.

State's first test comes on Sunday with Chattanooga

There's no need to pretend this was a significant win. In fact, none of State's first three results move the needle much. But we will get a better idea of this team's strength on Sunday when they host Chattanooga. The Mocs are a good mid-major program, and they actually beat the Bulldogs last season. They've taken a bit of a step back this season, but they will still easily be the best team State has faced so far. State should be able to get the win, but regardless of what happens, that result will be noteworthy.