Carter comes up big as Bulldogs top Gators
First-year Mississippi State head coach Nikki McCray-Penson is preaching. Bulldog junior forward Jessika Carter is listening. In large part because of that, MSU is back on the winning track.
With State looking to bounce back from last Sunday's overtime loss against Kentucky, Carter heeded her coach's advice by dominating down low to lead No. 14 MSU to a 68-56 victory at Florida on Thursday night.
"Jess and I have a great relationship," McCray-Penson said. "She told me, ‘Coach, if I settle for my fadeaway (shot), get me.’ And I got her…It’s just part of what she’s so used to doing. I have to remind her there’s nobody that can guard you down low. You have to fight and get position. "
Fight and get position Carter did. She recorded her fourth double-double in the last five games as she scored 25 points and brought down 15 rebounds. She also added two steals and a couple of blocks defensively. However it was her offensive game down low that stole the show and helped the Bulldogs improve to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in Southeastern Conference play.
"It was just getting the ball inside," Carter said. "Coach Nikki wanted me to get the ball inside and that’s what we did. I took a lot of poor shots on the outside (early in the game). I should have stayed in the paint. It was working for me in the paint."
MSU's Jessika Carter, No. 4, scored 25 points for the Bulldogs in a 68-56 win over Florida on Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Florida athletics)
Carter was 11-of-19 from the field. Her biggest offensive help in the game came from Rickea Jackson, who was the only other Bulldog to score in double figures. Jackson tallied 16 points.
But Carter was leading the charge, guided by the prodding her head coach has been doing since McCray-Penson became the leader of MSU's program. McCray-Penson preaches an inside-out offensive style. She wants players like Carter near the basket. That's what happened Thursday time and time again, with fantastic results.
"I think Jess needs to understand where she gets her confidence from and that’s inside, deep in the paint," McCray-Penson said. "We know she’s finesse. Our staff is really trying to help her be both finesse and physical. We need power and finesse from her and I think you’re seeing that."
Carter's big night was certainly needed. The Gators (7-4, 0-3) proved to be a scrappy bunch. State led 38-27 at the half, then held a double-digit lead through the entirety of the third quarter. However Florida wouldn't go away, closing the MSU advantage to only seven points a couple of different times in the fourth quarter. But the Gators could get no closer and the Bulldogs held on, in large part because of Carter as she scored eight points in the final period.
McCray-Penson is hopeful to see this type of Carter more and more as the year rolls on.
"She’s got to be consistent every night," McCray-Penson said of Carter. "It doesn’t matter who it is…she’s got to be a dominant force for us every night."
Carter and the Bulldogs return to action on Sunday with a 5 p.m. central home game against instate rival Ole Miss.
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCES
MSU head coach Nikki McCray-Penson
MSU forward Jessika Carter
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