Bulldogs Headed Back To Sweet 16!
March 19, 2017 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – How sweet it is.
The Mississippi State women's basketball team is headed back to the Sweet 16 after a 92-71 win over DePaul in a second-round game of the NCAA Tournament's Oklahoma City Regional played before a national television audience and a Humphrey Coliseum crowd of 6,035.
No. 2 seed MSU (31-4) will face No. 3 seed Washington (28-5) or No. 6 seed Oklahoma (23-9) in the regional semifinal Friday night in Oklahoma City. The game will be at either 6 p.m. CT or 8:30 p.m. CT and shown on the ESPN family of networks.
MSU advances to the Sweet 16 for the third time in program history and second-straight season under fifth-year coach Vic Schaefer. The Bulldogs bettered their school record with their 31st overall win and finished the season 12-1 at Humphrey Coliseum.
"I am really humbled and so proud of my kids today," MSU head coach Vic Schaefer said. "They played their hearts out. I was proud of their focus and their energy. DePaul is really good. They are so skilled and well-coached. We talked to the kids in pregame about who we are and what we are known for. We talked about toughness, resilience and competitive spirit."
"We talked about not being out-worked and not being out-hustled. I thought the kids really responded to that."
The Bulldogs kicked the offense into high gear in postseason play by scoring 202 points in the two regional tournament wins at home.
MSU placed six players in double figures. Blair Schaefer had 18 points, while Jazzmun Holmes had 14 points. Victoria Vivians, Chinwe Okorie and Breanna Richardson each added 12 points. Dominque Dillingham had 10 points.
Dillingham joined the 1,000-point club in during Sunday's victory.
The Bulldogs used a dominant inside game in rolling up a big rebounding advantage. Okorie and McCowan each had nine rebounds. Holmes also had six assists.
After a nip-and-tuck struggle in the first half, MSU led 38-37 at halftime. Leading 47-43, the Bulldogs turned it up on the defensive end and blew the contest open with a 14-0 run.
"In the second half, we really executed," Schaefer said. "Our inside game was great. Jazzmun Holmes came in off the bench and played 25 minutes and was leading the No. 7 team in the nation. In the biggest spotlight of the world, on the game's biggest stage, she led the team like a pro."
DePaul (27-8) scored the game's first five points but MSU came back with nine-straight points. DePaul battled back for a 12-11 lead. The lead then switched hands a couple of times before the teams were tied at 17 after one quarter.
Things were similar in the second half, with the Bulldogs able to grab a four-point lead on a couple of occasions before easing into halftime with the one-point lead.
A 3-pointer by Schaefer kick-started the game-deciding 14-0 run. The Bulldogs were stellar on the defensive end and started limiting the Blue Demons in transition.
A layup by Holmes capped the run and gave the Bulldogs a 61-43 lead with 1:40 left third quarter.
Another 3-pointer by Schaefer pushed the lead to 74-53 with 5:12 left in the contest. As the final seconds ticked off, the crowd stood as one and celebrated the Bulldogs' advancement.
For the contest, MSU hit 31 of 63 shots from the field (49.2 percent), 4 of 12 shots from 3-point range (33.3 percent), 26 of 30 shots from the foul line (86.7 percent). DePaul hit 27 of 66 shots from the field (40.9 percent), 10 of 29 shots from 3-point range (34.5 percent) and 7 of 11 shots from the foul line (63.6 percent).
MSU held a 48-26 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs had 14 assists and 11 turnovers, while the Blue Demons had 15 assists and 12 turnovers.
DePaul received 18 points from Jessica January, 16 points from Brooke Schulte and 13 points from Tanita Allen.
The Mississippi State women's basketball team is headed back to the Sweet 16 after a 92-71 win over DePaul in a second-round game of the NCAA Tournament's Oklahoma City Regional played before a national television audience and a Humphrey Coliseum crowd of 6,035.
No. 2 seed MSU (31-4) will face No. 3 seed Washington (28-5) or No. 6 seed Oklahoma (23-9) in the regional semifinal Friday night in Oklahoma City. The game will be at either 6 p.m. CT or 8:30 p.m. CT and shown on the ESPN family of networks.
MSU advances to the Sweet 16 for the third time in program history and second-straight season under fifth-year coach Vic Schaefer. The Bulldogs bettered their school record with their 31st overall win and finished the season 12-1 at Humphrey Coliseum.
"I am really humbled and so proud of my kids today," MSU head coach Vic Schaefer said. "They played their hearts out. I was proud of their focus and their energy. DePaul is really good. They are so skilled and well-coached. We talked to the kids in pregame about who we are and what we are known for. We talked about toughness, resilience and competitive spirit."
"We talked about not being out-worked and not being out-hustled. I thought the kids really responded to that."
The Bulldogs kicked the offense into high gear in postseason play by scoring 202 points in the two regional tournament wins at home.
MSU placed six players in double figures. Blair Schaefer had 18 points, while Jazzmun Holmes had 14 points. Victoria Vivians, Chinwe Okorie and Breanna Richardson each added 12 points. Dominque Dillingham had 10 points.
Dillingham joined the 1,000-point club in during Sunday's victory.
The Bulldogs used a dominant inside game in rolling up a big rebounding advantage. Okorie and McCowan each had nine rebounds. Holmes also had six assists.
After a nip-and-tuck struggle in the first half, MSU led 38-37 at halftime. Leading 47-43, the Bulldogs turned it up on the defensive end and blew the contest open with a 14-0 run.
"In the second half, we really executed," Schaefer said. "Our inside game was great. Jazzmun Holmes came in off the bench and played 25 minutes and was leading the No. 7 team in the nation. In the biggest spotlight of the world, on the game's biggest stage, she led the team like a pro."
DePaul (27-8) scored the game's first five points but MSU came back with nine-straight points. DePaul battled back for a 12-11 lead. The lead then switched hands a couple of times before the teams were tied at 17 after one quarter.
Things were similar in the second half, with the Bulldogs able to grab a four-point lead on a couple of occasions before easing into halftime with the one-point lead.
A 3-pointer by Schaefer kick-started the game-deciding 14-0 run. The Bulldogs were stellar on the defensive end and started limiting the Blue Demons in transition.
A layup by Holmes capped the run and gave the Bulldogs a 61-43 lead with 1:40 left third quarter.
Another 3-pointer by Schaefer pushed the lead to 74-53 with 5:12 left in the contest. As the final seconds ticked off, the crowd stood as one and celebrated the Bulldogs' advancement.
For the contest, MSU hit 31 of 63 shots from the field (49.2 percent), 4 of 12 shots from 3-point range (33.3 percent), 26 of 30 shots from the foul line (86.7 percent). DePaul hit 27 of 66 shots from the field (40.9 percent), 10 of 29 shots from 3-point range (34.5 percent) and 7 of 11 shots from the foul line (63.6 percent).
MSU held a 48-26 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs had 14 assists and 11 turnovers, while the Blue Demons had 15 assists and 12 turnovers.
DePaul received 18 points from Jessica January, 16 points from Brooke Schulte and 13 points from Tanita Allen.
Team Stats
DPU
MS
FG%
.409
.492
3FG%
.345
.333
FT%
.636
.867
RB
26
48
TO
12
11
STL
3
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Players Mentioned
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | Sam Purcell Media Session - 6/17/25
Tuesday, June 17
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | NCAA TOURNAMENT | Second Round Post Game Press Conference vs. USC 03/24/25
Tuesday, March 25
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | NCAA TOURNAMENT | Second Round Preview Press Conference vs. USC 03/23/25
Sunday, March 23
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | NCAA TOURNAMENT | First Round Post Game Press Conference vs. California 3/22/25
Saturday, March 22