No. 3 Bulldogs Head To Rocky Top For Top 10 Showdown Against No. 6 Tennessee
January 20, 2018 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. –A Top 10 women's basketball matchup takes place on "Rocky Top" Sunday.
No. 3 Mississippi State takes a 19-0 overall record and 5-0 SEC mark to Knoxville to face a No. 6/7 Tennessee team that is 16-2 on the year and right behind MSU in the league standings at 4-1.
Tip is set for 2 p.m. CT.
State is the only team in the SEC and one of just three in the nation without a loss this season.
The "We Back Pat" contest will air on ESPN2 with Paul Sunderland and Kara Lawson on the call. WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app will also have a live stream of the game.
Jason Crowder and Charlie Winfield will broadcast on the MSU Radio Network and online on HailState.com/plus and the TuneIn app.
Vic Schaefer's Bulldogs seek to match last year's National Finalist squad for the best start in program history and win for the second-straight year in Knoxville after the 2016-17 team won in Thompson-Boling Arena for the first time. After dropping the first 36 meetings to Tennessee, the Bulldogs have won three of the last four.
The Bulldogs lead the SEC and are ranked fifth nationally in scoring offense (86.4 ppg). MSU is paced by the stellar play of junior Teaira McCowan and senior Victoria Vivians.
MSU returns to the court after wrapping a two-game SEC homestand with a 75-61 win against Alabama last Sunday.
Against Alabama, McCowan recorded her SEC-best 14th double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds. McCowan is third in the SEC in scoring (20.9 ppg) and first in both rebounds (12.9 rpg) and field goal percentage (65.0 percent).
In SEC games, the Brenham, Texas, native is averaging 23.8 points and 14.0 rebounds per contest.
Vivians led the way against Alabama with 21 points, raising her season average to an SEC fourth-highest 19.3 ppg. The Carthage, Miss., native has enjoyed a banner start to her final season, rating as one of two SEC players this season shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line.
Vivians has scored at a 19.8 clip in her career against Tennessee and is averaging 24.3 ppg against ranked foes this season.
Roshunda Johnson, who scored 14 points against Alabama, is averaging 11.7 ppg this season and 11.8 in league games. She had 16 points against Tennessee in Starkville to close the 2016-17 regular season.
The Lady Vols are coming off a tough 84-70 setback at Notre Dame on Thursday. In its last SEC action, Tennessee won at South Carolina 86-70.
The Lady Vols are paced by Jamie Nared's 17.4 ppg. Mercedes Russell averages 16.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg. She leads the team in SEC play scoring 19.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: No. 6/7 Tennessee
Location: Knoxville, Tenn. (Thompson-Boling Arena)
Time: Sunday, 2:02 p.m. CT
Television: ESPN2 (PxP – Paul Sunderland; Analyst – Kara Lawson)
Watch Online: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network; HailState.com/Plus; TuneIn (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Charlie Winfield)
SERIES HISTORY
TENNESSEE (UT leads 37-3)
At MSU: UT leads 18-1
At Tennessee: UT leads 15-1
At Neutral Sites: UT leads 4-1
Last 10 Meetings
2/26/2017 L 64-82 H
1/8/2017 W 74-64 A
3/5/2016 W 58-48 N
1/28/2016 W 65-63 (OT) H
2/1/2015 L 67-79 A
1/16/2014 L 63-67 H
1/31/2013 L 45-88 A
2/16/2012 L 41-57 H
1/27/2011 L 55-81 A
1/10/2010 L 48-75 H
BULLDOG BITES
LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...
GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT
No. 3 Mississippi State takes a 19-0 overall record and 5-0 SEC mark to Knoxville to face a No. 6/7 Tennessee team that is 16-2 on the year and right behind MSU in the league standings at 4-1.
Tip is set for 2 p.m. CT.
State is the only team in the SEC and one of just three in the nation without a loss this season.
The "We Back Pat" contest will air on ESPN2 with Paul Sunderland and Kara Lawson on the call. WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app will also have a live stream of the game.
Jason Crowder and Charlie Winfield will broadcast on the MSU Radio Network and online on HailState.com/plus and the TuneIn app.
Vic Schaefer's Bulldogs seek to match last year's National Finalist squad for the best start in program history and win for the second-straight year in Knoxville after the 2016-17 team won in Thompson-Boling Arena for the first time. After dropping the first 36 meetings to Tennessee, the Bulldogs have won three of the last four.
The Bulldogs lead the SEC and are ranked fifth nationally in scoring offense (86.4 ppg). MSU is paced by the stellar play of junior Teaira McCowan and senior Victoria Vivians.
MSU returns to the court after wrapping a two-game SEC homestand with a 75-61 win against Alabama last Sunday.
Against Alabama, McCowan recorded her SEC-best 14th double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds. McCowan is third in the SEC in scoring (20.9 ppg) and first in both rebounds (12.9 rpg) and field goal percentage (65.0 percent).
In SEC games, the Brenham, Texas, native is averaging 23.8 points and 14.0 rebounds per contest.
Vivians led the way against Alabama with 21 points, raising her season average to an SEC fourth-highest 19.3 ppg. The Carthage, Miss., native has enjoyed a banner start to her final season, rating as one of two SEC players this season shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line.
Vivians has scored at a 19.8 clip in her career against Tennessee and is averaging 24.3 ppg against ranked foes this season.
Roshunda Johnson, who scored 14 points against Alabama, is averaging 11.7 ppg this season and 11.8 in league games. She had 16 points against Tennessee in Starkville to close the 2016-17 regular season.
The Lady Vols are coming off a tough 84-70 setback at Notre Dame on Thursday. In its last SEC action, Tennessee won at South Carolina 86-70.
The Lady Vols are paced by Jamie Nared's 17.4 ppg. Mercedes Russell averages 16.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg. She leads the team in SEC play scoring 19.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: No. 6/7 Tennessee
Location: Knoxville, Tenn. (Thompson-Boling Arena)
Time: Sunday, 2:02 p.m. CT
Television: ESPN2 (PxP – Paul Sunderland; Analyst – Kara Lawson)
Watch Online: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network; HailState.com/Plus; TuneIn (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Charlie Winfield)
SERIES HISTORY
TENNESSEE (UT leads 37-3)
At MSU: UT leads 18-1
At Tennessee: UT leads 15-1
At Neutral Sites: UT leads 4-1
Last 10 Meetings
2/26/2017 L 64-82 H
1/8/2017 W 74-64 A
3/5/2016 W 58-48 N
1/28/2016 W 65-63 (OT) H
2/1/2015 L 67-79 A
1/16/2014 L 63-67 H
1/31/2013 L 45-88 A
2/16/2012 L 41-57 H
1/27/2011 L 55-81 A
1/10/2010 L 48-75 H
BULLDOG BITES
- A win Sunday would match last year's team (20-0) for the best start in program history.
- MSU is seeking a 2nd-straight win in Knoxville after claiming its 1st-ever win there, 74-64, last season. After losing the first 36 meetings, State has won 3 of the last 4 against Tennessee.
- State is tops in the SEC and 5th nationally in scoring offense (86.4 ppg). MSU is scoring 89.5 ppg its last 10 games.
- After forcing Alabama into 26 turnovers, the Dawgs are 2nd in the SEC turning foes over at a 20.7 clip.
- State scored 35 points off Crimson Tide turnovers. The Bulldogs average 25.3 ppg off opponent miscues. MSU is 73-3 since 2014-15, 54-0 the last three years, when scoring 20+ points off turnovers in a game.
- Teaira McCowan notched her 14th double-double last Sunday. That is most in the SEC and 4th in Division I.
- McCowan is 3rd in the SEC, 17th in the nation, in scoring (20.9 ppg) and tops in the league, 5th in DI, in rebounding (12.9 rpg). She also rates 6th in the nation with an SEC-best .650 FG%.
- Victoria Vivians notched her 9th 20-point game of the season, 41st of her career, against Alabama. Vivians is 4th in the SEC in scoring at 19.3 ppg.
- Vivians is averaging 24.3 ppg this season and 17.5 in her career against ranked opponents.
- Morgan William is 3rd nationally in assist/turnover ratio (4.1), and she is 3rd in the SEC in FT% (86.0%).
- Ro Johnson is T8th in the SEC in 3FG% (40.0%) and T5th in steals (2.3 spg).
- Blair Schaefer has knocked down 46 3-pointers this season, tied for the most in the SEC.
LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...
- Mississippi State capped a two-game homestand by rallying from a first-quarter deficit to defeat Alabama 75-61 last Sunday. The Bulldogs trailed 20-16 after the opening 10 minutes, but took the lead for good by out-scoring the Crimson Tide 28-9 in the second quarter, holding Alabama to 3 field goals and forcing 10 turnovers in the period.
- Victoria Vivians scored a team-high 21 points, while Teaira McCowan added 19 points and 16 rebounds and Ro Johnson collected 14 points.
GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT
- Tennessee is off to a 16-2 overall record and 4-1 SEC mark. The Lady Vols won at No. 8 South Carolina 86-70 last Sunday and suffered an 84-70 setback at Notre Dame on Thursday.
- Jamie Nared leads four Lady Vols averaging double figures on the season with 17.4 ppg. She also pulls in 8.4 rpg. Mercedes Russell averages 16.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg while also topping the team in SEC play with 19.2 ppg and 8.6 rpg.
Players Mentioned
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