No. 4 South Carolina too much for No. 21 Mississippi State

Bulldogs have now lost three straight games

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State was in need of something good to happen. 

In a game against No. 4 South Carolina on Thursday night, the No. 21 Bulldogs had an opportunity to ease frustrations caused by back-to-back losses to Alabama and Texas A&M. In the end, the Gamecocks were just too much and MSU was left to wait for another chance to escape its recent doldrums.

State fell 75-52 to South Carolina. After a strong start to the game, the Bulldogs were dominated over the final three quarters as MSU suffered its third-straight loss – the program's first three-game losing streak since the 2013-14 season.

"Everything that we game planned for, everything that we practiced for, we didn't do it," MSU guard Myah Taylor said of Thursday's loss. "In the first quarter we did. We came out with energy and executed. We did what the game plan said. As the game went on, we got away from it."

(SEE TAYLOR'S FULL POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE WITH VIDEO ABOVE OR SEE MSU HEAD COACH NIKKI MCCRAY-PENSON'S FULL POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE BY CLICKING HERE.)

The loss dropped State's overall record to 8-5 and the Bulldogs fell to 3-4 in Southeastern Conference play. It's the first time in seven years that MSU's SEC record has dropped below the .500 mark. South Carolina improved to 13-1 overall and 8-0 in league action.

Early on, it looked as though MSU might be on a path to upset the Gamecocks. The Bulldogs led 11-10 after the first quarter of play, Jessika Carter had four points and six rebounds over the first 10 minutes of action on the way to recording a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. MSU would ultimately be led for the night by Rickea Jackson's 15 points.

Things seemed to be going pretty well for State. Even with the early lead though, State was displaying signs of offensive struggle. The Bulldogs shot only 25 percent as a team in the first period and they really never got going offensively all night long.

"I thought we missed a lot of shots around the rim and we've just got to finish those shots," State head coach Nikki McCray-Penson said. "There were some good shots, we've just got to finish them. And there were some bad ones that we just threw up and we cannot do that."

While MSU couldn't get shots to fall, South Carolina heated up. The Gamecocks outscored the Bulldogs 26-12 in the second quarter, had a 36-23 lead at halftime and MSU trailed by double figures for the rest of the way. South Carolina was led by guard Zia Cooke's 19 points as the Gamecocks became the latest opponent to fluster the Bulldogs.

State has now lost four of its last six games. In one of the two Bulldog wins in that stretch, the instate rival Ole Miss Rebels nearly overcame a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit. Times have certainly been tough of late for MSU, there's no doubt. However, the Bulldogs insist better days are ahead if they can just keep their heads down and work for it.

"We just have to move on (from Thursday's loss) and grow from it," Taylor said. "I know the coaches will stay up endless hours watching film like they always do so we can have it for (Friday's) practice. We have to keep spirits high. There's still lots of basketball to be played."

"We've just got to keep working," McCray-Penson added. "It's that simple."

MSU will have a week to better itself before hitting the floor again. The Bulldogs return to action on February 4 with a 7 p.m. home game against Tennessee.

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