No. 4/3 Bulldogs Host Rebels Thursday For StarkVegas Night

STARKVILLE, Miss. – It will be StarkVegas Night in the Hump on Thursday as No. 4/3 Mississippi State women's basketball returns home to face in-state rival Ole Miss at 8 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to wear black for the contest, which will be televised on the SEC Network with Paul Sunderland and Debbie Antonelli calling the action. The game will also be streamed online on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.

Jason Crowder and Charlie Winfield will handle the radio broadcast on the MSU Radio Network. An online audio stream can be found at www.HailState.com/Plus and the TuneIn app.

Fans can buy tickets online at www.hailstate.com/tickets or at the Humphrey Coliseum box office on game day. Tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for youth age 17 and under. Bully's Kids Club members and MSU students get in free.

Vic Schaefer's Bulldogs enter the contest 17-0 overall and 3-0 in league play following an 83-70 road victory at LSU on Sunday. State, one of four teams nationally and two in the SEC without a loss, can match the 2014-15 team for the second-best start in program history with a win on Thursday.

MSU enters the game tops in the league in scoring this season. State rates fourth nationally averaging 87.6 ppg, but it is putting in the points at a 93.3 per-game clip in league play.

Teaira McCowan has paced the Bulldogs' offense averaging 25.0 ppg and 13.7 rpg in conference games. For the season, the Brenham, Texas, native is scoring 20.8 ppg while grabbing 12.7 rpg, the fifth-best average in the country.

Victoria Vivians has also had the best start to a season in her career, averaging 19.4 ppg on the year and 17.7 ppg in league play.

State has all five starters averaging double figures through the opening three conference games. In addition to the contributions by McCowan and Vivians, Roshunda Johnson is scoring at a 13.0 clip and Morgan William and Blair Schaefer are averaging 11.7 and 10.7 ppg, respectively.

Thursday's meeting, the first of two this season between the teams, is the 94^th contest in the series. State has won the last seven meetings and 15 of the last 18, including 10 in a row in Starkville.

GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Ole Miss
Location: Starkville, Miss. (Humphrey Coliseum)
Time: Thursday, 8:05 p.m.
Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: www.HailState.com/tickets ($5 adults/$3 youth age 17 & under)
Television: SEC Network (PxP – Paul Sunderland; Analyst – Debbie Antonelli)
Watch Online: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Charlie Winfield)

PROMOTIONS

StarkVegas Night (Fans Wear Black)
Donut Bacon Cheeseburger (Between Portals D&E)
Student Lounge (Open to MSU Students)
Bully's Kidz Kourt (Opens at 6:30 p.m.)

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss (UM leads 63-30)
At MSU: UM leads 24-17
At Ole Miss: UM leads 32-12
At Neutral Sites: UM leads 7-1

Last 10 Meetings
2/12/2017               W             66-44                      A
1/16/2017               W             73-62                      H
2/21/2016               W             60-51                      A
1/18/2016               W             79-51                      H
3/1/2015                 W             55-47                      H
1/22/2015               W             64-62                      A
2/23/2014               W             72-70 (OT) H
1/23/2014               L               87-85 (OT) A
2/14/2013               L               51-65                      A
1/27/2013               W             72-57                      H

BULLDOG BITES

MSU's 17-0 start to the season is the third-best start in program history. All 3 have come in the last 4 seasons.
State is seeking to start SEC play 4-0 for the second-straight year. The first time came last season.
State is 1 of 4 (2 SEC) teams in the nation without a loss.
MSU has won 7-straight against Ole Miss and 15 of the last 18. State has won 10 in a row in Starkville.
The Bulldogs have scored 80 or more points in 4-straight games and 12 times this season, matching the total of times State scored 80-plus last season.
The Bulldogs are 4th nationally in scoring (87.6 ppg).
MSU has 4 100-point games this year, the most in a season.
State is 4th nationally in turnover margin (+9.1) and fifth in turnovers per game (11.6).
Teaira McCowan and Victoria Vivians are third and fourth in the SEC in scoring with 20.8 and 19.4 ppg, respectively.
McCowan recorded her second 30-point, 20-rebound game of the year. It is tied for the second-most in a season by a major conference player the last 15 years.
She is the only SEC player to have a 30-20 game since at least the turn of the century.
After averaging 6.9 ppg in non-conference play, Morgan William is scoring at an 11.7 clip in SEC contests.
William is shooting 73.3% from the field in the first half of the first three SEC games.
William leads the SEC at the FT line (86.3%).
Roshunda Johnson has scored double digits in four-straight games. She also has 14 steals the last 6 games (2.3 spg).
Johnson is averaging 13.0 points and shooting 55.6% from the field, 46.7% from 3-point range in league games.

LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...

MSU used a 12-0 run to end the first half and a 31-point, 20-rebound performance from Teaira McCowan to claim a hard-earned road win at LSU, 83-70, on Sunday.
The Bulldogs won in Baton Rouge for the 2nd-straight year and 3rd time ever.
State shot 48.3% from the field and had Morgan William (13 points), Roshunda Johnson (10) and Chloe Bibby (10) join McCowan in double figures.

GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT

Ole Miss enters Thursday 11-5 overall and 1-2 in SEC play. The Rebels are coming off a 78-75 double-overtime win against Florida on Sunday.
The Rebels are averaging 74.0 ppg and shooting 42.5% from the field, 32.5% from 3-point range. Madinah Muhammad is averaging 18.1 ppg on the season, 19.0 ppg in SEC games. Alissa Alston also averages double digits on the year with 15.5 ppg.

Mississippi State University Athletics

No. 4/3 Bulldogs Host Rebels Thursday For StarkVegas Night

Related News

Players Mentioned

Chloe Bibby

Roshunda Johnson

Teaira McCowan

Blair Schaefer

Victoria Vivians

Morgan William

Related Videos