Four Takeaways from Mississippi State's Upset Over No. 9 LSU
The Mississippi State women's basketball team upset No. 9 LSU 77-73 on Monday night. This victory marks the Bulldogs' first over an AP Top 10 opponent since 2018 (lost the previous 12 matchups) and second-year head coach Sam Purcell's first against an AP Top 25 team.
This matchup had many factors that influenced the outcome in front of Humphrey Coliseum's sold-out crowd. Here are four takeaways:
First Half Struggles
Mississippi State didn't have an ideal start to the game as the Bulldogs found themselves down 8-2 after a couple of minutes due to multiple turnovers. They then proceeded to go on a 16-2 run to take an 18-10 lead, but even more giveaways helped LSU storm back to just a 20-18 deficit at the end of the first quarter. In total, Mississippi State recorded an alarming seven turnovers in the opening period.
The Bulldogs polished these numbers a bit in the second quarter as they committed just three turnovers in the period. However, they didn't make up for it on the scoreboard, as they shot 7-of-19 in the period compared to LSU's 8-of-13. This made Mississippi State head to the locker room down 40-35 at the break.
The Third Quarter Turning Point
Mississippi State guard Jerkaila Jordan was one of the the team's few bright lights in the first half as she scored nine points. But at the start of the third quarter, she shined ever brighter as she tallied 12 more points in the period.
The rest of the team quickly followed in her path as the Bulldogs collectively shot a jaw-dropping 85 percent from the field in the third quarter for 28 total points. The offense was run much more efficiently compared to the first half, where a decent chunk of attempts were when the shot clock was nearing zero.
It was as if the roles switched in the quarter as LSU struggled to shoot from all over the court (17 total points) and they couldn't stop turning the ball over. Mississippi State recorded five turnovers in the period, but the Tigers' massive lead in that department diminished as both schools were tied with 15 going into the fourth quarter. LSU also failed to score in the final four minutes of the third.
The Bench Duo
Many of LSU's turnovers resulted from steals by Jordan, who finished the game with a stellar five. However, she somehow didn't lead the Bulldogs in this category as fellow guard Mjracle Sheppard swiped six off the bench.
Sheppard also got it done on the offensive end as she tallied 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting, plus a team-high five assists. Believe it or not, she wasn't the highest scorer off the bench as fellow guard Darrione Rogers logged 19.
The Three-Point Differential
LSU somewhat steered the ship throughout the fourth quarter as they reached within one possession of the Bulldogs. It appeared as though Mississippi State returned to the second quarter version of itself, as it failed to put a single point on the board for over five minutes late in the period.
Rogers got most of her points from behind the arc as she hit 4-of-8 from there. Her fourth came with 1:20 remaining to break Mississippi State's drought and extend the lead to 73-67.
Overall, the Bulldogs were very productive at the three-point line on Monday night, as they converted on 9-of-17 attempts (53 percent). Nine of Jordan's team-high 24 points were from that area as well. Fellow guard Debreasha Powe only took three shots from deep but nailed two of them.
As previously stated, Mississippi State's defense was stout in the third quarter, and their lockdown abilities on the perimeter extended to the fourth as well. When LSU was desperate for points late in the game, they resorted to the arc, but that was rarely a success. The Tigers ended the game shooting just 3-of-14 from that area.
