Mississippi State
7-1
Tulane
6-2
Lady Bulldogs Best Tulane, 70-55, Improve To 7-1
December 04, 2011 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's Diamber Johnson had her offensive game on Sunday afternoon.
The senior guard scored 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting as the Lady Bulldogs won their fourth straight with a 70-55 victory over Tulane in a women's basketball game played at the Humphrey Coliseum.
MSU also received a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) from Ashley Brown. For Brown, it was her first double-double of the season and fourth for her career.
MSU (7-1) did not trail over the final 24 minutes as the Lady Bulldogs won their fourth straight. Tulane (6-2) had already knocked off Southeastern Conference foe LSU this season but lost a second straight contest in this arena as Sunday's defeat came four seasons after a WNIT second-round setback.
"We knew they had a good team and that defensively we would have to play well," Johnson said. "Defensively, we did a good job of keeping them under control and not allowing any runs. Offensively, we got several players involved. That is when we are at our best."
Johnson topped the 20-point mark for a second straight game. The last Lady Bulldog to do that was Porsha Porter against Alabama and Auburn a season ago.
"We had four people in double figures in scoring (for the first time this season), and that was very important," MSU head coach Sharon Fanning-Otis said. "They have great three-point shooting, and I thought we did a good job of guarding that. We are going to continue to grow.
"We found a way to win, and I hope this will carry over to the exam period."
The teams were nip-and-tuck through a very competitive first half.
The Maroon and White did start strong, opening the contest with a 12-4 run. Johnson scored her squad's first 10 points. Tulane righted the ship and closed within 13-11 on a 3-point make by Jamie Kaplan. MSU answered with a 3-point basket from Kendra Grant, before Tulane reeled off a 7-2 run to tie the teams at 18.
The lead then swung back and forth before MSU seized control for good to end the first half. Trailing 26-23, the Lady Bulldogs scored the half's final eight points. Defensive toughness by Brown and Johnson fueled the run. Porter provided the offense by scoring all eight points, including a pair of treys.
"I certainly think Mississippi State stepped up," Tulane coach Lisa Stockton said. "They played well today, especially Johnson. She was on fire, especially during the first five minutes. Mississippi State normally doesn't make 3-pointers and they made nine in this game. That's tough to combat."
The Lady Bulldogs continued on the offensive attack, stretching the lead to double digits at 41-30 with 16:09 left to play. MSU maintained at least a five-point push the rest away, as the Maroon and White shot a solid 43.3 percent from the field in the second half.
"Holding them under 30 percent from the field (in the second half) was an important stat for us," Fanning-Otis said. "Taking care of the basketball is another thing we have to work on."
A 12-2 run late in the second half allowed the Lady Bulldogs to lead by as many as 20 at 70-50. Tulane scored the final five points to create the game's final margin.
For the contest, the Lady Bulldogs hit 25 of 63 shots from the field (39.7 percent), 9 of 24 shots from 3-point range (37.5 percent) and 11 of 15 shots from the foul line (73.3 percent). The Green Wave hit 18 of 58 shots from the field (31.0 percent), 4 of 21 shots from 3-point range (19.0 percent) and 15 of 24 shots from the foul line (62.5 percent).
Tulane held a 45-39 rebounding advantage. The Lady Bulldogs had 11 assists and 16 turnovers, while the Green Wave had 14 assists and 20 turnovers.
Joining Johnson and Brown in double figures were Porter with 14 points and Grant with 11 points. Johnson, Porter and Grant each finished with three 3-point baskets as the Lady Bulldogs had a season-best nine makes from long range.
Tulane received a double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) from Adesuwa Ebomwonyi and 10 points from Kaplan.
MSU will not play in the midweek due to final examinations on campus. The Lady Bulldogs will travel to Ruston, La., for a 2 p.m. start Sunday at Louisiana Tech.
