Mississippi State
Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic
Bulldogs Go 1-1 Against Two Top 10 SEC Teams In Athens
April 06, 2014 | Women's Golf
ATHENS, Ga. – Following the impressive 3-2 victory over No. 10 Alabama in the morning round, the Mississippi State women's golf team narrowly missed a chance to play for the Liz Murphey Collegiate Championship title after falling to No. 4 Arkansas 3-2 in the afternoon round.
The Bulldogs battled the Razorbacks down to the final hole, but a clutch 25-foot-putt by Arkansas' Gaby Lopez on hole 17 was vital to the win.
"We had a great day,” said fourth-year head coach Ginger Brown-Lemm. “To play No. 10 Alabama this morning and win 3-2, was fantastic. We are believing in ourselves as a team and a program, that's how you rise to the occasion. We learned a lot, and will look forward to tomorrow's match.”
Winning both of her matchups in commanding fashion for the Maroon and White was Rica Tse, who claimed a 5-and-4 victory over Daniela Lendl of Alabama and a 4-and-2 win over Summar Roachell of Arkansas.
All-American Ally McDonald faced some of the toughest competition of the tournament as she competed against the No. 4 Stephanie Meadow of the Crimson Tide and No. 14 Lopez. The Fulton, Miss., native finished all square with Meadow in the first round and slipped to a 1-down loss to Lopez in the second round.
The fabulous freshman duo of Jessica Peng and Ji Eun Baik each posted 1-1 records in their matchups on Saturday. Baik earned a hard-fought 1-up victory over senior Emma Lavy of Arkansas, while Peng earned a 3-and-2 win against Janie Jackson of Alabama.
Rounding out the MSU lineup was Mary Langdon Gallagher who secured a vital tie with the Crimson Tide's Mia Landegren in the morning session.
No.1 Southern California advanced to the championship match with Arkansas with a 4-1 semifinal win against North Carolina State.
The Bulldogs play for the third-place crown on Sunday against the Wolfpack, with teams scheduled to tee off at 7:00 a.m. CST.
Live stats and post-round results will be available through Hailstate.com.
Updates will be provided on the Mississippi State women's golf Twitter account, @HailStateWG, and Facebook page, facebook.com/HailStateWG.
First Round Matchup
No. 36 Mississippi State 3, No. 10 Alabama 2
Mary Langdon Gallagher (MSU) vs Mia Landegren (UA), All Square
Hannah Collier (UA) def. Ji Eun Baik (MSU), 4-and-3
Rica Tse (MSU def. Daniela Lendl (UA), 5-and-4
Jessica Peng (MSU) def. Janie Jackson (UA), 3-and-2
Ally McDonald (MSU) vs. Stephanie Meadow (UA), All Square
Semi-Final Matchup
No. 36 Mississippi State 2, No. 4 Arkansas 3
Regina Plasencia (UA) def. Mary Langdon Gallagher (MSU), 3-and-1
Ji Eun Baik (MSU) def. Emma Lavy (UA), 1-up
Rica Tse (MSU) def. Summar Roachell (UA), 4-and-2
Emily Tubert (UA) def. Jessica Peng (MSU), 2-and-1
Gaby Lopez (UA) def. Ally McDonald (MSU), 1-up
