No. 6/3 MSU Returns To Action Sunday Against Little Rock

Sunday, December 10

Starkville

2:00 PM

Mississippi State

Little Rock

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No. 6/3 MSU Returns To Action Sunday Against Little Rock

December 08, 2017 | Women's Basketball

Buy Tickets Watch On SEC Network +Live Audio Live Stats MSU Game Notes LR Game Notes

STARKVILLE, Miss. – With the fall semester complete, No. 6/3 Mississippi State women's basketball turns its full attention to the hardwood as it hosts Little Rock Sunday at 2 p.m. in the second of a December-opening four-game homestand.

Tickets for the game cost $5 for adults and $3 for youth age 17 and under. Bully's Kids Club members get free admission with their membership ID card. In addition, Sunday will be "Morgan William Day," with free posters of the senior point guard, who graduated Friday, available to the first 750 fans.

Also, a cutout of William will be located outside Bully's Kidz Kourt in Mize Pavilion, and fans shorter than "Itty Bitty" get free admission to the contest.

For fans unable to come to Humphrey Coliseum, the contest will be streamed online on SEC Network + with Bart Gregory and Charlie Winfield on the call.

WKBB-FM and WFCA-FM will have the radio broadcast in the Golden Triangle and surrounding areas, while WVBG-FM will carry the game in Vicksburg. Fans can also listen to the audio stream on HailState.com/plus and the TuneIn app.

State enters Sunday's game 8-0 and one of two remaining undefeated SEC teams after defeating Oklahoma State 79-76 prior to a break for final examinations. SEC Player of the Week Victoria Vivians led the way with 30 points. Roshunda Johnson had 18 against her former team and William tallied a season-high 15.

William earned Preseason All-SEC honors and is on the Naismith, Wade and Nancy Lieberman award watch lists after capping a stellar junior season with "The Shot" that took down UConn in the Final Four

The Birmingham, Ala., native currently leads the SEC and nation in assist/turnover ratio (5.4). She also rates second in the league in assists with 5.4 apg.

William has put together quite the career for MSU, rating first in the MSU record books career assists and free-throw percentage. Her 523 assists rate fourth among active NCAA Division I players, while her 83.8% success rate at the charity stripe is 10^th in SEC annals and ninth among current players nationally.

Vivians also added another milestone in Sunday's Big 12/SEC Challenge win, passing 1,900-career points with her 30-point, 8-rebound, 2-assist and 3-steal effort. She is now just 87 points away from becoming the third-ever MSU player to record 2,000 points.

With last Sunday's win, Mississippi State enters Sunday as one of only three programs nationally to have an undefeated men's and women's team, the only program in the Southeastern Conference.

Coach Vic Schaefer and Co. welcome a Little Rock team to the Hump that is 3-5 on the season. The teams met last season in Little Rock, with the Bulldogs coming out on top 58-44 to give Schaefer his 100^th-career victory at State.

Little Rock is paced by Ronjanae DeGray, who averages 11.0 ppg, while Keanna Keys grabs 5.4 rebounds per game.

GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Little Rock
Time: Sunday at 2:02 p.m.
Doors Open: 12:30 a.m.
Admission: $5 adults/$3 age 17 & under/Free Bully's Kids Club (age 12 and under)
Watch: SEC Network + (PxP – Bart Gregory; Analyst – Charlie Winfield)
Where To Watch: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Jason Crowder)

PROMOTIONS

"Morgan William Day"
Free Morgan William Posters (First 750 Fans)
Free admission to fans shorter than "Itty Bitty"
Bully's Kidz Kourt (Mize Pavilion – Opens 12:30 a.m.)
Maroon Memory experiences (HailState.com/memories)

SERIES HISTORY
LITTLE ROCK (MSU leads 8-0)
At MSU: MSU leads 5-0
At Little Rock: MSU leads 2-0
At Neutral Sites: MSU leads 1-0

12/13/2016            W             58-44                      A
2/6/1988                 W             70-53                      H
12/16/1987            W             68-55                      A
1/24/1987               W             97-63                      H
2/5/1986                 W             83-74                      H
2/6/1985                 W             102-63                    N
1/26/1984               W             90-64                      H
2/9/1983                 W             65-49                      H

BULLDOG BITES

MSU has won 30-straight regular season non-conference games and 29-consecutive non-conference home games.
The State seniors have amassed 97 career wins, 7th most nationally, 2nd in the SEC since 2014-15.
MSU remained No. 6 in this week's Associated Press Poll and No. 3 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
State started 8-0 for the 2nd-straight season and 3rd time in the last 4 years.
The Bulldogs are 1 of 3 programs in the nation, the only SEC school, to have undefeated men's and women's teams.
State is 3rd in the SEC in scoring offense (82.5 ppg) and 2nd in defense (53.6 ppg). The Dawgs also lead the SEC in turnover margin (+8.6) and rate 2nd in assist/turnover ratio (1.3).
MSU has won the turnover battle 7 times this season. It is 113-26 under Vic Schaefer, 85-13 since 2014-15, when doing so.
State is averaging 24.0 points off turnovers this season, while giving up just 8.6 ppg off miscues.
Victoria Vivians was named SEC Player of the Week, giving an MSU player the honor 2 of the last 3 weeks (Teaira McCowan, Nov. 21).
Vivians is 3rd in the SEC in scoring 19.9 ppg. She has 1,913 points, 87 from becoming the 3rd MSU player to record 2,000.
Teaira McCowan is 2nd in the SEC, 10th nationally, in rebounding (11.6 rpg) while averaging a 12th-best 15.8 ppg.
Vivians (30 pts. vs. Okla. St.) and McCowan (31 vs. Louisiana) became the first MSU players to record 30 points in back-to-back games since 2005.
Morgan William (5.4) and Jazzmun Holmes (3.7) top the SEC in assist/turnover ratio. William tops the nation in the category
William is 2nd in the league in assists (5.4 apg).

LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...

The Bulldogs improved to 8-0 as they defeated Oklahoma State 79-76 inside Humphrey Coliseum as part of the 2017 Big 12/SEC Challenge last Sunday.
Victoria Vivians led the way with 30 points and added 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in the contest. Playing against her former team, Roshunda Johnson netted 18 points and Morgan William tallied 15.
Vivians scored 17 of her points in the 2nd half as MSU held on to a 3-point halftime lead.

GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT

Little Rock heads to Starkville boasting a 3-5 record after dropping a 58-49 decision to Louisiana Tech at home on Thursday. The Trojans are 0-3 on the road this season.
LR averages 59.0 ppg while holding foes to 58.5 ppg. The Trojans shoot 40.1% from the floor, 28.4% from 3-point range and 73.9% from the line.
Ronjanae DeGray, who had 18 points against MSU in last season's meeting, leads the Trojans with 11.0 ppg, while Keanna Keys grabs 5.4 rpg.