Mississippi State
14-7 (5-3SEC)
#9 Georgia
18-3 (5-3SEC)
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 25 | 41 | 66 |
| Mississippi State | 35 | 39 | 74 |
Lady Bulldogs Hold Off Late Charge For 74-66 Upset Of No. 9 Georgia
January 28, 2010 | Women's Basketball
• Official Statistics
• Official Statistics (PDF)
• Postgame Quotes (PDF)
• FREE M2M VIDEO: Coach Fanning-Otis' Postgame Press Conference
• FREE M2M VIDEO: Postgame Player Interviews
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State recorded its best signature victory of the Southeastern Conference women's basketball season Thursday night. The Lady Bulldogs build a healthy lead midway through the second half and held on for a 74-66 upset win over No. 9 Georgia in the Humphrey Coliseum.
M-State recorded its highest-ranked victory since a 79-75 win over also No. 9 Florida on Feb. 18, 2001. The Lady Bulldogs also snapped a six-game losing streak in their series with perennial power Georgia. MSU had won its first nine home game this season, before a loss to fourth-ranked Tennessee and shocking setback to Florida last Sunday.
All of that was forgotten Thursday night as MSU defeated its fourth ranked opponent of the season and second in five days. The Lady Bulldogs upset No. 21 Vanderbilt, 65-56 Sunday afternoon in Nashville.
The victory moved MSU into a two-way tie with Georgia for fourth place in the conference standings. The Lady Bulldogs are now 14-7 overall and 5-3 in league play, while UGA fell to 18-3 and 5-3. It was Georgia's second loss in five days, coming on the heels of a stunning 66-65 home loss to Ole Miss last Sunday.
"I am very, very proud of this team," MSU head coach Sharon Fanning-Otis said. "I was very proud of the first half. I think we made things happen. We were able to change defenses. Everybody was really working and put us in a great position (to win)."
Alexis Rack poured in 34 points pace the M-State offensive attack. For the fourth-year senior, it was her biggest offensive output in a conference game. Rack nailed 7-of-10 3-point attempts from the field. The point total trailed only a 43-point outing against Maryland earlier this year.
In an ordinary theme for the MSU faithful, the Lady Bulldogs' offense is much better when Rack finds a rhythm.
"We have always known what it takes to win and energy is a big part," Rack said. "We were alert, ready and focused before we stepped on the court tonight. The guards are the pulse of the team. So when we come out with high energy then the rest of the team follows."
The teams were nip-and-tuck throughout the first 10 minutes of action. MSU took the lead for good at 13-12 on a pair of free throws by Rack with 11:20 left in the half. The hosts stretched the lead to 22-17 on a Bethany Washington jump shot.
Georgia closed within one at 24-23 before MSU pieced together a game-deciding 9-0 run. Rack rammed a jumper home and later nailed a deep 3-point basket. Armelie Lumanu's layup gave the hosts a 33-23 lead. The Lady Bulldogs held a similar push, leading 35-25 at the intermission.
In the opening half, the Lady Bulldogs shot 53.7 percent from the floor, hitting on 15-of-28 shots from the field. Chanel Mokango fueled the defensive effort with four of her five blocked shots in the opening half.
"This was a defensive effort by the whole team," Mokango said. "We knew how good this team was and we came out ready."
The Lady Bulldogs maintained one of their best defensive efforts of the season in the second half. The teams again battled even throughout the first 10 minutes of the second half. The hosts then pieced together another game-changing run in this half as well. Punctuated by three threes from Rack, the Lady Bulldogs enjoyed a 15-6 run, grabbing a 64-48 lead with 4:42 remaining.
Georgia shifted to the full-court press and did cause some turnover difficulties down the stretch. However, the visiting version of the Lady Bulldogs got no closer than four points, thanks to a 10-3 run.
A layup by Angel Robinson closed the gap to 68-64 with 54 seconds remaining. The hosts hit six straight free throw attempts to move back out of danger.
Rack finished with a 9-for-17 night from the field and also hit all nine free throws taken. Lumanu finished with 15 points. Both Rack and Lumanu finished with a team-high seven rebounds, while Lumanu dished out four assists. Mokango finished with 14 points.
Georgia received 16 points from Meredith Mitchell and 12 points from Robinson. Porsha Phillips had the game's lone double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in a losing cause.
M-State resumes its three-game homestand with a 2 p.m. start Sunday against Kentucky. The homestand ends when Alabama comes to town for an 8 p.m. start next Thursday night. The MSU-UK contest will not be televised, while MSU-UA will be shown nationally by ESPNU.
