MSU looks to start anew as SEC Tourney begins

Bulldogs battle LSU on Thursday

Mississippi State's regular season certainly had its fair share of bumps in the road, but the Bulldogs get to start anew on Thursday as MSU battles LSU in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. See the video at the top of this page for full video of State head coach Nikki McCray-Penson's thoughts headed into the event. Plus, here's a quick look at the game, courtesy of Mississippi State media relations:

With the regular season finished, Mississippi State heads to Bon Secours Wellness Arena this week to compete in the SEC Tournament, beginning Thursday with a matchup against LSU at 10 a.m. CT.

The game will be televised on SEC Network with Eric Frede (play-by-play), Tamika Catchings (analyst) and Steffi Sorensen (sideline) on the call. The matchup can also be streamed on the MSU Radio Network with Jason Crowder.

Fans who plan to attend the tournament are encouraged to review the SEC Tournament Gameday Guidelines, which includes mobile tickets only and a strict No-Bag policy.

The Bulldogs played LSU on the road last week, defeating the Tigers 68-59 on Thursday night. Aliyah Matharu scored all 19 of her points in the second half to spark Mississippi State to the victory. She was 5-of-7 from the floor, a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe after halftime. Myah Taylor had another strong outing on both ends of the floor, recording 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, six rebounds, four assists and four steals.

State has won nine straight meetings in the series against LSU, including last year’s 79-49 victory against the Tigers in the SEC Tournament. The winner of Thursday’s contest will face Texas A&M on Friday at 10 a.m. CT.

Bulldog Storylines

• Mississippi State is 26-40 all time during the SEC Tournament. However, the Bulldogs have been much more successful recently, going 11-4 in the last five tournaments.
• State won its first SEC Tournament Title in 2019, topping Arkansas in the championship game, 101-70.
• Last year, the Bulldogs defeated LSU and Kentucky to earn their fifth-straight SEC Tournament championship appearance.
• Myah Taylor ranks 33rd in the country and fourth in the SEC with a 2.42 assist/turnover ratio. Her 4.2 assists per game ranks fifth in the conference. She’s scored in double figures 10 times this season, including eight of the last nine games.
• Between her scoring and assists, Taylor has been a major factor in State’s offense this season. In fact, she has accounted for more than 25 percent of MSU’s total scoring in nine contests, including two games during SEC play when she accounted for 50 percent or more of the team’s scoring.
• Rickea Jackson, who was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 watch list, is averaging a team-best 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. The sophomore forward owns two 30-point efforts and 11 games with 20+ points during her career. Of her 20-point games, 10 came against SEC opponents.
• Jessika Carter ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage (.495). She owns 18 career double-doubles, leads the team in rebounding (8.8 rpg) and is second in scoring (14.3).
• Because of their play this season, Carter, Jackson and Taylor were recognized as top-10 finalists for their Naismith Starting Five position awards. Jackson and Carter have also been tabbed to National Player of the Year watch lists. Combined, the trio averages 39.1 points, 16.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.
• A scoring threat and spark for Mississippi State, Aliyah Matharu has earned a spot in the starting lineup, getting the nod in four of the last five games. She is averaging 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game this year.
• Madison Hayes was tabbed to the SEC All-Freshman Team. She ranks second on the team in rebounds (4.7 rpg).
• Mississippi State entered a new era during the 2020-21 campaign, as women’s basketball hall of famer Nikki McCray-Penson takes the helm of the women’s basketball program. The Collierville, Tenn., native boasts a decorated resume to this point in her career.
• 2017 National Championship
• 2x Olympic Gold Medalist
• 2x SEC Player of the Year
• 3x WNBA All-Star
• 1997 ABL MVP
• 1997 ABL Championship
• Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, Mississippi State owns 141 wins, which is the fourth-most victories in all of Division I. UConn leads the way, while Baylor ranks second and Louisville is third.
• Mississippi State wants to dominate the paint every game, and the offense’s primary goal is to get the ball down low for a basket. MSU is outscoring opposing teams 706-452 in the paint, which is an average margin of more than 14.1 points per game.
• The Bulldogs average 6.6 threes per game, which ranks fourth all-time in MSU history for a single season. State only averaged more 3-pointers during the 2009-10 (7.2 3FG/game), 2017-18 (7.1 3FG/game) and 2004-05 (6.8 3FG/game) campaigns. State has been efficient from beyond the arc, shooting a .341 clip from deep, which ranks seventh in program history.
• The Bulldogs have played the fewest conference games during SEC play due to COVID issues with other teams and inclement weather. A total of seven matchups this season have either been postponed/canceled without a makeup date scheduled.
• While no loss is good, State’s losses this year have all come to opponents ranked inside the 40 of the NET. MSU’s average NET loss is 23, and the Bulldogs have kept five of those contests to within single digits.

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