Thursday, December 28
Starkville
7:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Mississippi Valley State
Vivians Earns National Honor As No. 5/3 MSU Hosts MVSU
December 27, 2017 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Victoria Vivians earned national player of the week accolades from the United States Basketball Writers Association as No. 5/3 Mississippi State prepped to wrap the non-conference slate against Mississippi Valley State on Thursday.
Tip for the in-state showdown at Humphrey Coliseum is set for 7 p.m.
The contest will be Dollar Night, with fans able to purchase $1 advance tickets on www.hailstate.com/tickets. The $1 ticket offer is only valid for those purchased in advance. Tickets can also be purchased at the Humphrey Coliseum box office on game day at regular price ($5 for adults and $3 for youth age 17 and under).
Bully's Kids Club members get free admission to all MSU women's basketball games with a valid membership ID card.
Dollar Night festivities also include $1 hot dogs while supplies last. Jumbo hot dogs will also be available at regular price.
The game will be streamed online on SEC Network +, with Blake DuDonis and Charlie Winfield on the call. Jason Crowder and Jonathan Holmes will bring the action on the MSU Radio Network and online at HailState.com/Plus and the TuneIn app.
Vivians claimed USBWA National Player of the Week honors after earning Duel in the Desert Rebel Division MVP. The Carthage, Miss., native averaged 24.0 points and 7.5 rebounds as Vic Schaefer's Bulldogs defeated host UNLV and No. 22 Syracuse to run their season record to 13-0.
Vivians continued to be efficient at putting the ball in the basket, hitting 56.7 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from 3-point range and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. She also averaged 2.5 assists and 3.0 steals in the two contests.
The SEC's second-leading scorer at 20.1 ppg this season, Vivians opened the week by notching 22 points and six rebounds as the Bulldogs rolled to a 103-63 win against the host Lady Rebels. Vivians made 61.5 percent of her shots, including 50 percent from the arc, as MSU tied the Cox Pavilion scoring record with its 103 points.
Vivians also added six rebounds, four assists and three steals in the victory.
In the Dawgs' final game of the event, Vivians paced State with 26 points and came a rebound shy of a double-double as Mississippi State handed Syracuse its first loss of the season, 76-65.
She scored 11 of her 26 points in the first half to join former Bulldog greats LaToya Thomas and Tan White as the only players in program history to score 2,000-career points.
Junior Teaira McCowan also had a stellar showing in Las Vegas, averaging 22.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in the two wins. McCowan notched her fourth and fifth-straight double-doubles, giving her an NCAA Division I third-most nine on the season.
McCowan returns from the Christmas break sixth in the league in scoring (18.2 ppg) and second in the league and seventh in the nation on the boards (12.5 rpg). The Brenham, Texas, native has made shots at a 63.7-percent clip this season, the top mark in the conference and 10th-best in the country.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Mississippi Valley State
Time: Thursday, 7:02 p.m.
Doors Open: 5:30 p.m.
Admission: $5 adults/$3 age 17 & under/Free Bully's Kids Club (age 12 and under)
Watch Online: SEC Network + (PxP – Blake DuDonis; Analyst – Charlie Winfield)
Where To Watch: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Jonathan Holmes)
PROMOTIONS
SERIES HISTORY
MISS. VALLEY ST. (MSU leads 17-2)
At MSU: MSU leads 14-0
At MVSU: Series tied 2-2
At Neutral Sites: MSU leads 1-0
Last 10 Meetings
11/24/2015 W 109-37 H
12/15/2014 W 104-41 H
12/30/2013 W 98-58 H
11/23/2011 W 64-47 H
12/20/2010 W 61-49 H
12/16/2009 W 88-53 H
11/25/2008 W 69-46 H
1/7/2008 W 104-45 H
11/26/2006 W 80-51 H
12/20/1999 W 106-36 H
BULLDOG BITES
LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...
GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT
Tip for the in-state showdown at Humphrey Coliseum is set for 7 p.m.
The contest will be Dollar Night, with fans able to purchase $1 advance tickets on www.hailstate.com/tickets. The $1 ticket offer is only valid for those purchased in advance. Tickets can also be purchased at the Humphrey Coliseum box office on game day at regular price ($5 for adults and $3 for youth age 17 and under).
Bully's Kids Club members get free admission to all MSU women's basketball games with a valid membership ID card.
Dollar Night festivities also include $1 hot dogs while supplies last. Jumbo hot dogs will also be available at regular price.
The game will be streamed online on SEC Network +, with Blake DuDonis and Charlie Winfield on the call. Jason Crowder and Jonathan Holmes will bring the action on the MSU Radio Network and online at HailState.com/Plus and the TuneIn app.
Vivians claimed USBWA National Player of the Week honors after earning Duel in the Desert Rebel Division MVP. The Carthage, Miss., native averaged 24.0 points and 7.5 rebounds as Vic Schaefer's Bulldogs defeated host UNLV and No. 22 Syracuse to run their season record to 13-0.
Vivians continued to be efficient at putting the ball in the basket, hitting 56.7 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from 3-point range and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. She also averaged 2.5 assists and 3.0 steals in the two contests.
The SEC's second-leading scorer at 20.1 ppg this season, Vivians opened the week by notching 22 points and six rebounds as the Bulldogs rolled to a 103-63 win against the host Lady Rebels. Vivians made 61.5 percent of her shots, including 50 percent from the arc, as MSU tied the Cox Pavilion scoring record with its 103 points.
Vivians also added six rebounds, four assists and three steals in the victory.
In the Dawgs' final game of the event, Vivians paced State with 26 points and came a rebound shy of a double-double as Mississippi State handed Syracuse its first loss of the season, 76-65.
She scored 11 of her 26 points in the first half to join former Bulldog greats LaToya Thomas and Tan White as the only players in program history to score 2,000-career points.
Junior Teaira McCowan also had a stellar showing in Las Vegas, averaging 22.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in the two wins. McCowan notched her fourth and fifth-straight double-doubles, giving her an NCAA Division I third-most nine on the season.
McCowan returns from the Christmas break sixth in the league in scoring (18.2 ppg) and second in the league and seventh in the nation on the boards (12.5 rpg). The Brenham, Texas, native has made shots at a 63.7-percent clip this season, the top mark in the conference and 10th-best in the country.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Mississippi Valley State
Time: Thursday, 7:02 p.m.
Doors Open: 5:30 p.m.
Admission: $5 adults/$3 age 17 & under/Free Bully's Kids Club (age 12 and under)
Watch Online: SEC Network + (PxP – Blake DuDonis; Analyst – Charlie Winfield)
Where To Watch: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Jonathan Holmes)
PROMOTIONS
- Dollar Night
- $1 Tickets (only available on online orders at HailState.com/tickets)
- $1 Hot Dogs (available while supplies last)
- Bully's Kidz Kourt (Mize Pavilion – Opens 5:30 p.m.)
- Maroon Memory experiences (HailState.com/memories)
SERIES HISTORY
MISS. VALLEY ST. (MSU leads 17-2)
At MSU: MSU leads 14-0
At MVSU: Series tied 2-2
At Neutral Sites: MSU leads 1-0
Last 10 Meetings
11/24/2015 W 109-37 H
12/15/2014 W 104-41 H
12/30/2013 W 98-58 H
11/23/2011 W 64-47 H
12/20/2010 W 61-49 H
12/16/2009 W 88-53 H
11/25/2008 W 69-46 H
1/7/2008 W 104-45 H
11/26/2006 W 80-51 H
12/20/1999 W 106-36 H
BULLDOG BITES
- MSU seeks to wrap the non-conference slate perfect for the 2nd-straight season and 4th time in school history.
- MSU has won 35-straight regular season non-conference games and 32-consecutive non-conference home games.
- The State senior class has won 102-career games, 2nd in the SEC, T6th-most in the nation.
- The Bulldogs have started 13-0 for the 2nd-straight year and 3rd time in the last 4 years. It is tied for the 3rd-best start in program history.
- State is 7th nationally in scoring margin (+28.5) and 15th in scoring offense (84.5 ppg).
- MSU has won the turnover battle all but once this season. It is 117-26 under Vic Schaefer, 89-13 since 2014-15, when winning the turnover battle.
- State is shooting 80% at the FT line the last 6 games.
- Victoria Vivians was named SEC Player of the Week and USBWA National Player of the Week after averaging 24.0 pts., 7.5 rbds. to earn Duel in the Desert MVP honors.
- With 11 1st-half points against Syracuse, Vivians became the 3rd MSU player to score 2,000-career points.
- Vivians is 2nd in the SEC in scoring (20.1 ppg) and has scored double figures in 19-straight games.
- Teaira McCowan has recorded 5-straight double-doubles, the first time an MSU player has done so since 2003 (LaToya Thomas).
- McCowan leads the league and is 10th nationally in FG% (63.7%) and is 2nd in the SEC and 7th in the nation in rebounding (12.5 rpg).
- Morgan William continues to lead the country in assist/turnover ratio (5.4).
LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...
- Mississippi State improved to 13-0 on the season as it defeated host UNLV and No. 22 Syracuse to win the Rebel Division of the Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas.
- In the opener, State matched the Cox Pavilion scoring record (set in the previous game by Texas A&M) with a 103-63 win against UNLV. Four of State's 5 starters reached double figures, led by 31 points and 15 rebounds from Teaira McCowan and 22 points from Victoria Vivians.
- The following day, Vivians led State with 26 points as it handed Syracuse its first loss of the season, 76-65. Blair Schaefer scored 15 points in the contest, while McCowan added 14 points and 13 rebounds.
GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT
- Mississippi Valley State brings an 0-11 record to Starkville on Thursday. The Devilettes have only played one home game this season and are coming off an 83-64 setback at Michigan State on Dec. 22.
- MVSU averages 57.1 ppg and shoots 32.3% from the field, 21.3% from 3-point range. First-year coach Ashley Walker is led by 15.6 ppg from Kristy Parker and 15.3 ppg from LaKendra Bassett.
Players Mentioned
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