Basketball season seems to be getting quite exciting in Starkville. Men's basketball has been, deservingly, getting plenty of attention for their hot start to the year, and now the women's squad is getting in on the fun.
Mississippi State women's basketball notched a Top 10 win inside Humphrey Coliseum for the second-straight year, defeating #10 Oklahoma 81-77. The Bulldogs and Sooners traded dominant quarters in the first half before playing a tightly-contested affair the rest of the way.
After the Sooners hit a game-tying three with just over a minute to go, MSU took a 74-72 lead with 41 seconds left off a pair of Eniya Russell free throws. Some strong defensive possessions and free throw makes down the stretch would close the game out in favor of the Bulldogs. Jerkaila Jordan was masterful for State, leading all scorers with 24 points on 10-17 shooting along with six rebounds, three assists, and four steals.
Here are some thoughts after a statement win...
Turnover battle proved key for Mississippi State women's basketball
Going back to last season, turnovers have been a major problem for Mississippi State women's basketball. Those mistakes have often been the deciding factor in their losses. But against Oklahoma, the Bulldogs won the turnover battle by a large margin. State turned the ball over 11 times. That's not necessarily great, but it's an improvement for a squad that turns it over nearly 16 times per game. Meanwhile, they forced the Sooners into 21 turnovers and scored 25 points off those turnovers. In a tight game where OU had the edge in most other categories, that was what kept State in it and ultimately propelled them to a win.
Bulldogs prove they can hang with high level teams in the SEC
After uncompetitive losses to Kentucky and South Carolina, it looked like MSU was destined to be nothing more than average within the SEC this season. Beating a Top 10 Oklahoma squad changes their outlook. The Sooners are a legitimately good team with some impressive wins to this point. This is a great mark on State's resume, and it also signals that the Bulldogs, when playing well, are capable of hanging with the stronger teams left on their schedule.
Mississippi State women's basketball has a chance to build some momentum
Speaking of changing an outlook, 1-2 in the SEC looks much better than 0-3, and Mississippi State can build off this win. They'll play on the road against struggling Georgia on Sunday, followed by at Tennessee, Ole Miss and Auburn at home, and at Mizzou. Beating Tennessee or the Rebels will be difficult, but the rest of those matchups heavily favor State on paper. If MSU can split between the Vols and Ole Miss and handle business elsewhere, they'll be in really good shape getting into the thick of SEC play.