Cowbell Corner

Homestand begins with challenge for Dawgs against Vanderbilt

Mississippi State women’s basketball opens a homestand against undefeated Vanderbilt, leaning on balanced scoring and interior defense in SEC play.
Andy Hodges|
Mississippi State's Madison Francis bringing the ball up the court against the Tennessee Vols at a game at Humphrey Colisem in Starkville, Miss.
Mississippi State's Madison Francis bringing the ball up the court against the Tennessee Vols at a game at Humphrey Colisem in Starkville, Miss. | MSU Athletics

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State women’s basketball is back in Starkville, which is always comforting.

Even when the visitor arriving at Humphrey Coliseum just happens to be undefeated, ranked fifth nationally and armed with enough shooting to ruin a perfectly good evening.

The Bulldogs open a two-game homestand Thursday night against Vanderbilt, tipping at 5:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

The matchup brings together a State team still searching for its footing in league play and a Commodores group that hasn’t stumbled once this season.

Mississippi State enters the contest at 14-4 overall and 1-3 in SEC play, coming off a rivalry loss at Ole Miss that offered both frustration and flashes of what this team can be when things click.

The Dawgs didn’t fold in Oxford — they competed — but competition alone doesn’t move the standings.

Vanderbilt, meanwhile, arrives with a spotless 17-0 record and a 4-0 start in conference play. That kind of résumé doesn’t need much selling. It travels well, too.

Still, Starkville has seen enough SEC basketball over the years to know records don’t tip the ball.

This game is less about fixing everything at once and more about showing that Mississippi State can string together 40 minutes that look intentional, connected and stubborn enough to make an elite opponent uncomfortable.

That alone would count as progress.

State leans on balanced scoring entering SEC test

The Bulldogs don’t lack for contributors, even if the results haven’t followed neatly in conference play. Against Ole Miss, State had four players reach double figures, a reminder that this roster isn’t dependent on a single scorer having a perfect night.

Madison Francis and Chandler Prater led the way with 15 points apiece in the loss. Francis added seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals, the kind of all-over stat line that tends to go unnoticed unless you’re actively looking for it. Prater was efficient, shooting 75 percent from the floor and from three-point range.

Freshman Favour Nwaedozi continued her steady emergence with 14 points and 11 rebounds, securing her eighth double-double of the season.

It’s become routine enough to almost feel normal, which probably says more about her consistency than anything else.

Destiny McPhaul chipped in 12 points while leading the team with four assists and two steals, acting as the connective tissue that keeps possessions from drifting sideways.

Across the season, Mississippi State has four players averaging at least 10 points per game. Nwaedozi and Francis both sit at 13.1 points, McPhaul averages 12.1, and Prater checks in at 10.1. Jaylah Lampley is right behind them at 9.8, hovering just below the threshold.

In SEC play, Francis has taken on an even larger role. She’s averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game against league opponents and leads the SEC at 3.1 blocks per contest overall.

She’s also the only freshman in the conference averaging more than one block per game.

Those numbers don’t guarantee anything Thursday night, but they at least give State a foundation to lean on.

Vanderbilt arrives with shooting, efficiency, patience

If Mississippi State wants to hang around, it’ll have to deal with a Vanderbilt team that punishes mistakes with precision rather than theatrics.

The Commodores lead the SEC in three-point field goals made per game and rank among the nation’s top 10 in that category.

They also sit near the top of the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, which is usually a polite way of saying they don’t beat themselves.

Sophomore Mikayla Blakes headlines the offense, averaging nearly 25 points per game. She’s capable of scoring in bunches without dominating the ball, which makes defensive planning a chore.

Justine Pissott provides the long-range balance, leading the SEC in both three-point percentage and makes. When those shots start falling, defenses tend to stretch, lanes open, and games tilt quietly but firmly.

Vanderbilt doesn’t rush. It probes. It waits. And then it shoots — usually from somewhere uncomfortable.

That’s the challenge State faces: not just slowing down scoring, but disrupting rhythm before it ever settles in.

Homestand offers chance to reset conference trajectory

For the Dawgs, this game is less about rankings and more about response. A homestand brings familiarity, routine and the kind of energy that doesn’t always show up on stat sheets.

Mississippi State won’t fix its SEC record in one night, but it can reshape how the next stretch feels. Competing cleanly, defending with intent and forcing Vanderbilt to earn possessions would all qualify as steps forward.

The Bulldogs have enough balance to stay involved if they defend and rebound with purpose. They’ve shown that much already.

Thursday night simply asks whether they can do it against the league’s hottest team — at home, under the lights, with no shortcuts available.

That’s SEC basketball in January. Nothing subtle. Nothing forgiving.

Key takeaways

  • Mississippi State opens a two-game homestand Thursday against unbeaten No. 5 Vanderbilt at Humphrey Coliseum.
  • The Bulldogs feature balanced scoring led by Francis, Prater, Nwaedozi and McPhaul.
  • Vanderbilt brings elite three-point shooting and ball security into Starkville.

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Andy Hodges
ANDY HODGES

Sports columnist, writer, former radio host and television host who has been expressing an opinion on sports in the media for over four decades. He has been at numerous media stops in Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.

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