Mississippi State
10-15, 2-11SEC
Vanderbilt
18-8, 9-4SEC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt | 29 | 45 | 74 |
| Mississippi State | 31 | 31 | 62 |
Lady Bulldogs Fall At Home To Vanderbilt
February 17, 2011 | Women's Basketball
The Lady Bulldogs battled hard for most of the contest. MSU actually extended a 31-29 halftime lead to a 44-38 advantage with 14:40 left in regulation. The Lady Bulldogs then went the next 6:58 without scoring. By the time that run ended, the Commodores had seized all of the momentum in the contest.
The Lady Bulldogs fell to 10-15 overall and 2-11 in league play, while the Commodores improved to 18-8 and 9-4.
"It is all about playing for 40 minutes with toughness," MSU head coach Sharon Fanning-Otis said. " Vanderbilt is a very good team with great experience. When you let them dictate the flow of the game, then you are in trouble. We can't have mental lapses and beat a veteran team like that.
"We have to play hard with total focus for 40 minutes."
A baseline jumper by Tiffany Clarke staked Vanderbilt to an 11-6 advantage with 11:14 left in the half. The Lady Bulldogs responded with a 10-2 run to take a 16-13 lead, on a layup by Darriel Gaynor.
The lead switched hands eight times for the remainder of the half. Neither team led by more than three points over the final 7:10. A 3-pointer by Diamber Johnson pushed the Maroon and White into a 31-29 lead at halftime.
"Realistically, we had a strong first half," Fanning-Otis said. "We have a done a good job of being prepared to play this year. Right now we are having too many mental lapses. We have a breakdown on the defensive end or fail to block out on a rebound. A handful of possession can be the difference against a good team.
"In our league, you really have to play hard for 40 minutes."
After shooting 33.3 percent in the game's opening half, Vanderbilt shot 50 percent in the game's final half. The Commodores also used their superior size advantage to get to the free throw line. The Commodores tried 34 free tosses in the game, including 19 in the game's final half.
Still, the hosts scored the first five points of the final half. A 3-pointer by Mary Kathryn Govero lifted MSU to a 36-29 advantage with 19:02 left in the contest.
VU closed within two points, before the hosts pieced together a 6-2 run. A layup by Danielle Rector lifted the Lady Bulldogs to a 44-38 advantage with 14:40 left in the contest.
The scoring draught followed. The Lady Bulldogs continued to battle hard but missed their next 11 shots from the field. A jumper by VU's Stephanie Holzer tied the contest at 44 with 12:10 left in the game.
A 3-point by Jasmine Lister placed the Commodores on top for good. A jumper by Jence Rhoads pushed the lead to double figures for the first time, at 58-47 with 6:50 remaining.
A layup by Johnson brought the Lady Bulldogs within 63-56 with 2:59 left. The hosts got no closer the rest of the way.
For the contest, the Lady Bulldogs hit 23 of 69 shots from the field (33.3 percent), 9 of 22 shots from 3-point range (40.9 percent) and 7 of 11 shots from the foul line (63.6 percent). The Commodores hit 24 of 57 shots from the field (42.1 percent), 3 of 11 shots from 3-point range (27.3 percent) and 23 of 34 shots from the foul line (67.6 percent).
Vanderbilt held a 52-36 rebounding advantage. The Lady Bulldogs had 10 assists and nine turnovers, while the Commodores had seven assists and 14 turnovers.
Govero paced MSU with 17 points, while Johnson scored 12 points and dished out seven assists. Catina Bett just missed a double-double with nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds. The Lady Bulldogs again were plagued with foul trouble, as both Ashley Brown and Porsha Porter fouled out.
Vanderbilt received a double-double from Tiffany Clarke (22 points, 14 rebounds). Lister added 16 points, while Christina Foggie scored 11 points.
The Lady Bulldogs hit the road for a contest at Florida Sunday. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. central time. That contest will be televised regionally by Sun Sports.
