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Mississippi State women's basketball throttles Memphis to open season

The Bulldogs were dominant on night one!

By Andrew Miller

Oct 16, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Sam Purcell talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Oct 16, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Sam Purcell talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
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Mississippi State women's basketball began the 2024-2025 season in emphatic fashion with a 100-56 victory over Memphis. Sam Purcell's squad scored 64 second half points to turn an 11-point lead into a 44-point win. They kept the Tiger offense in check, dominated the boards, and had a big shooting night to coast in the season-opener. Here are some takeaways...

Eniya Russell looks like a potential superstar

Coming into the year, one question was who else could emerge as a consistent scorer alongside Jerkaila Jordan. After the season-opener, Eniya Russell looks to be the best candidate. The Kentucky-transfer had a huge night with a career-high 26 points on 10-15 shooting, including 4-8 from three. It's hard to describe her in a way other than just being a "hooper". She moves fluidly, has a smooth shot, and just finds ways to create on the court. She's clearly a high-level talent and should be huge for State this season.

Madina Okot is the answer for the Bulldogs down low

Another big question for this team was who steps up to replace Jessika Carter at the 5. Sam Purcell felt he had a few options, and he now may have an answer. Kenya-native Madina Okot had quite the coming out party in Starkville. Okot was the clear focal-point offensively early in the game, and she posted 14 points and a dominant 17 boards. Obviously she was facing a Memphis squad that didn't have the size to contend with her, but assuming she continues to build off this performance, State should be in good shape in the post.

Mississippi State was dominant despite an off-night from Jerkaila Jordan

What's most impressive about Mississippi State putting 100 on the board against Memphis is that the Bulldogs did this on a night in which its best player couldn't get going. Jerkaila Jordan had a rough game with just two points on 1-11 shooting. Usually, if your best player is that off, you're probably talking about your best case scenario being grinding out a win. Instead, everyone else picked up the slack. And again, I recognize that it's Memphis, but we're talking about hitting the century mark and winning by 44. That's a big deal regardless of opponent. This team will be all the more dangerous once Jordan returns to form.

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