Mississippi State women's basketball dominated boards against Colorado State Rams
By Ethan Lee
There’s a lot to be thrilled about when it comes to the way the Mississippi State women’s basketball team (12-2) dispatched of the Colorado State Rams (9-2). Sam Purcell’s Mississippi State Bulldogs looked solid against a solid team and MSU got the win on the road while playing at elevation.
And while many folks will understandably focus on how Lauren Park-Lane thrived against Colorado State, there is one intriguing area of the final stat sheet that is worth examining a bit closer.
One huge reason the Bulldogs were able to get that 82-75 victory over the Rams is the way the MSU women’s basketball team rebounded against Colorado State. There was sheer dominance on the offensive glass from Purcell’s squad.
The numbers paint a picture of the Bulldogs' complete imposition of will in the paint against the Rams. Mississippi State managed to pull down a really impressive total of 11 offensive rebounds against the rams. And that ended up leading to 16 critical second chance points for the Bulldogs.
In a close contest like this one, every point mattered.
On the flip side, Colorado State had essentially no success at grabbing offensive rebounds. They only managed just a single total offensive rebound for the entire game. One. That’s it. No more than that. And of course that staunch defensive rebounding effort from the Bulldogs translated to 0 second chance points off offensive boards for the Rams.
Mississippi State women's basketball: Bulldogs dominate offensive rebounding vs. Colorado State
Purcell has to be pleased with that sort of dominant display.
That type of rebounding disparity goes a long way toward ensuring a victory. Time and time again against Colorado State, Mississippi State was able to generate extra possessions. And it’s all thanks to the Bulldogs’ tenacity in chasing down rebounds.
Erynn Barnum set the tone with 4 offensive rebounds, enabling her to get 13 total rebounds. Her will to relentlessly battle against Colorado State proved contagious and Mississippi State definitely needed her presence.
Because the Bulldogs won by seven points. They had 16 second chance points off those 11 offensive rebounds. That mitigated some mistakes and issues shooting at times. Winning the rebounding battle helped the Bulldogs escape Fort Collins, Colorado with the win.