Bulldogs looking to bounce back in game against Troy

MSU was upset by South Florida in its previous game

Nine days after disappointment, Mississippi State finally is about to get the chance to get the sour taste out of its mouth.

The No. 12 Bulldogs have had to let their December 5 loss at South Florida marinate for over a week now. On Monday night though, MSU (2-1) is back in action and ready to move forward hosting Troy (3-1) at 7 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum. The game will be streamed online by SEC Network+.

The last several days have been spent with MSU head coach Nikki McCray-Penson and her Bulldogs determined to learn from their recent defeat and become better for it.

“(The players) looked in the mirror, so now my main thing is are we talking or are we going to show (improvement)?" McCray-Penson said. "I’ve seen growth and that’s what you want as a coach. We’ve gotten after it at practice.”

For more of McCray-Penson's thoughts on where her team stands headed into Monday's game, watch her latest media availability in full with the video above.

As for tonight's MSU opponent, this will be the second year in a row that State and Troy have met on the hardwood. MSU won last season’s contest 122-82. The Bulldogs are a perfect 13-0 all-time when playing Troy at home, and they hold the all-time series advantage 13-2.

League coaches picked Troy to repeat as Sun Belt champions again after also claiming the title last year. The Trojans are led by a First Team All-Sun Belt preseason selection in Alexus Dye and senior guard Tiyah Johnson. Dye is averaging a double-double with 18.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game this season. Johnson is the team’s leading scorer with 19.8 points per game to go along with 4.5 rebounds per game.

All that considered, Troy doesn't appear to be an easy hurdle at all for MSU to leap over. Then again, after the loss at South Florida, these Bulldogs could certainly stand to be tossed back into the fire with hopes they can emerge on the other side.

"A loss like (the South Florida game) shows you a lot of areas that you need to get better at," McCray-Penson said.

If the Bulldogs get their way, their growth will be evident on Monday night.

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