Mississippi State
14-7 (2-4SEC)
Alabama
8-13 (1-5SEC)
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UA | 21 | 38 | 59 |
| MS | 33 | 39 | 72 |
State Women Oust Alabama, 72-59
January 31, 2008 | Women's Basketball
? Official Statistics
? Official Statistics (PDF)
? Postgame Quotes (PDF)
The win improves Mississippi State's (14-7, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) record over the Crimson Tide (8-13, 1-5 SEC) to 7-4 in the last 10 meetings, including four wins at Humphrey Coliseum during the stretch. In the first half, MSU played tough defense and had a solid offensive effort to hold the lead for most of the period. In the opening 10 minutes, neither team could sustain a lead. With the score tied at 6-6 at the 16 minute mark, Mississippi State went on a minimal 5-0 run to take the lead. After the Crimson Tide cut the score to 15-12 with just under 11 minutes to play in the period, UA committed four straight turnovers which led to the 18-9 State run. MSU built their lead to 33-21 and took that lead into the lockerrom at the half. To go along with Govero's team-high nine points in the first half, sophomore guard Alexis Rack scored six points off of 2-of-5 shooting from behind the arc. Sophomore forward Tysheka Grimes forced three steals, while scoring five points in the opening period. Alabama was led by Tupelo-native Katie Hancock in the first stanza. In her first collegiate game in her home state, the freshman scored a team-leading seven points off of 3-for-5 shooting from the field. The Lady Bulldogs withstood a strong effort by Alabama in the second half, as the Crimson Tide managed to cut into the Mississippi State lead. Alabama outscored the Lady Bulldogs 19-10 over the opening 13 minutes of the period, taking the score to 43-40 with just under 13 minutes play in the game. MSU fought back as Rack hit a three-point basket at the 9:12 mark of the period, extending the State lead to six at 52-46. That would be as close as Alabama could get the rest of the way, as the Lady Bulldogs took a 72-59 win over UA. Mississippi State shot just over 47 percent in the second half, while holding the Crimson Tide to just six free-throw attempts on the night. The Lady Bulldogs also forced 26 UA turnovers, scoring 29 points off those miscues. MSU shot 24-of-28 from the free-throw line, good for 85.7 percent for the game. The Lady Bulldogs had four players score in double figures. Rack led all scorers with 19 points off of 5-of-8 shooting from behind the three-point line. Junior forward Robin Porter added a season-high 14 points, while collecting a career-high five blocks on the night, tying her for second place on the single game all-time list. Grimes brought down a career-high 15 rebounds to go with her eight points. With six assists in the game, junior guard Marneshia Richard moved into ninth place on the MSU career assist list with 281. Alabama had three players score in double figures. Tierney Jenkins led the Crimson Tide with 16 points and six rebounds. Camilla Blands and Talisha Chandler added 10 each for UA. Mississippi State travels to Auburn Sunday to take on the Tigers at 2 p.m. CT at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.
