No. 4 Bulldogs To Host Virginia, Raise National Finalist Banner On Friday

Friday, November 10

Starkville

8:00 PM

Mississippi State

Virginia

Tickets

No. 4 Bulldogs To Host Virginia, Raise National Finalist Banner On Friday

November 09, 2017 | Women's Basketball

Watch On SEC Network+Live Audio Live Stats MSU Notes UVA Notes

STARKVILLE, Miss. – No. 4 Mississippi State will commemorate last season's historic run to the national championship game, then turn its attention to 2017-18 Friday evening at Humphrey Coliseum.

The Bulldogs officially begin their 44th year of basketball at 8 p.m. as they host Virginia in the second half of a season-opening doubleheader with the MSU men's team.

Between games, MSU will honor the historic 2016-17 season that culminated in the program's first Final Four and raise the 2017 National Finalist banner into the Humphrey Coliseum rafters.

The pregame banner ceremony and the contest with the Cavaliers will be streamed live on SEC Network +. Fans can watch online at www.WatchESPN.com or via the WatchESPN app.

The game will also be broadcast on the MSU Radio Network, with WFCA-FM 107.9 in French Camp, WKBB-FM 100.9 in the Golden Triangle area and WVBG-FM 105.5 in Vicksburg all carrying the call with Jason Crowder.

Admission to both games is $20 per person. Advance tickets in sections 204-208 are available for $10.

Following the MSU-UVA contest, the Bulldogs will give away 2,500 replica National Finalist banners in Mize Pavilion. Fans can go to Portals A, N, E and I at halftime to get vouchers that can be redeemed for the banners.

"For us it's a new day. It is a new age and a new team," State's sixth-year coach Vic Schaefer said. "Different. That is the best way to put it. We are different. We have four senior guards. I think that is a good place to start. I will be leaning on them all through the year.

The Bulldogs return nine letterwinners from last year's historic squad that set school records with 34 overall wins and 13 SEC victories, including Top 3 scorers Victoria Vivians (16.2 ppg), Morgan William (10.9 ppg) and Teaira McCowan (8.7 ppg). Vivians and William both earned Preseason All-SEC accolades from league media and coaches, while McCowan, MSU's leading rebounder at year ago with 7.1 rpg, was a second-team pick by the coaches.

"It will be a real challenge for us Friday night. Virginia is so good. They are very talented and have four starters back. They had a heck of a year last year, and it is a heck of a team to have to open with. It will challenge us right away, and we will get a strong indication of where we are. It will be two Top 25 teams playing on Friday night."

Virginia brings back four starters from its 2016-17 team that went 20-13 overall and 7-9 in the ACC and advanced to the second round of the WNIT after just missing a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Jocelyn Willougby is the team's top returning scorer (9.8 ppg) and rebounder (6.2 rpg).

GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Virginia
Time: Friday at 8 p.m. (or 30 min. after the men's game)
Admission: Virginia
Watch: SEC Network + (Online Only)
Where To Watch: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network, HailState.com/Plus and TuneIn App

PROMOTIONS

Maroon Memories (Available at HailState.com/memories)
National Finalist Banner Raising Ceremony (Held between games)
2,500 National Finalist replica banners (vouchers available at halftime at Portals A, N, E & I)
Up to 225 Hail State Rewards Points
150 Bully's Kids Club Points

SERIES HISTORY
First Meeting

BULLDOG BITES

State is 31-12 all-time in season openers with 13-straight wins. MSU is 24-0 when opening the year at home.
MSU has won 22-straight regular season non-conference games.
The Bulldog seniors have amassed 89 career wins, 8th most nationally, 2nd in the SEC since 2014-15.
State is No. 4 in the Preseason USA Today Coaches Poll and espnW Preseason Poll, and No. 7 in the Associated Press Preseason Poll. All are the highest preseason rankings in program history.
MSU was picked to finish 2nd in the SEC by both league media and coaches.
Victoria Vivians and Morgan William were preseason First Team All-SEC selections by AP and coaches, while Teaira McCowan was a Second Team selection by the coaches.
Vivians enters her senior season with 1,754 career points, 2 points shy of tying Alexis Rack for 3rd at MSU. She is 254 points away from becoming the 3rd State player to reach 2,000-career points.
Vivians was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale watch list (nation's top shooting guard) while William was tabbed to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list for the nation's top point guard.

LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...

Mississippi State saw its first action of the season last Friday as it took on former Bulldog assistant coach Elena Lovato's Arkansas-Fort Smith Lady Lions.
The Bulldogs rolled to a 100-67 win. Senior guards Roshunda Johnson, Blair Schaefer, Victoria Vivians and Morgan William scored 56 of State's points, while junior Teaira McCowan dominated the paint with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Johnson and Schaefer tallied 19 and 18 points, respectively, while Vivians accounted for 13. Schaefer and Johnson knocked down 11 of MSU's 15 3-pointers in the game.
The Bulldog defense scored 42 points off 26 UAFS turnovers and out-paced the Lady Lions 27-3 in second-chance points.

GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT

Virginia enters its seventh season under head coach Joanne Boyle. Friday's game will be the first official action of the season for the Cavaliers, as they did not play an exhibition contest.
The Cavaliers are receiving votes in both national polls and are picked to finish sixth in the ACC this season.
UVA returns 10 letterwinners, including four starters, from last year's team that went 20-13 overall and advanced to the second round of the WNIT. Virginia finished eighth in the ACC with a 7-9 record.
The Cavaliers have to replace last year's leading scorer Breyana Mason (10.3 ppg), but they do return 30-game starters Jocelyn Willoughby (9.8 ppg), Lauren Moses (9.5 ppg) and Dominique Toussaint (9.5 ppg). Willioughby was also UVA's leading rebounder at 6.2 rpg.