Thursday, January 4
Starkville
8:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Arkansas
Mississippi State will celebrate Blair Schaefer Senior Night Thursday at 8 p.m. as it opens the SEC home slate against Arkansas.
No. 5/3 Bulldogs Open Home SEC Slate Thursday Against Arkansas
January 03, 2018 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – After an SEC-opening road win at Georgia on Sunday, No. 5/3 Mississippi State opens 2018 and the home portion of the league schedule Thursday as it hosts Arkansas at 8 p.m.
MSU will make its second-straight appearance on the SEC Network, with Paul Sunderland and Debbie Antonelli calling the action. Fans can also watch online at www.WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app.
Jason Crowder and Charlie Winfield will air the contest on the MSU Radio Network, with an online audio stream available at www.HailState.com/plus and the TuneIn app.
Humphrey Coliseum doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the game, which will be Blair Schaefer Senior Night. Fans can get a free poster of the senior guard, who is averaging 8.7 points on the year, and also take pictures with the 2017 TaxSlayer Bowl Trophy prior to the game.
Tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for youth age 17 and under. Bully's Kids Club members get free admission with their membership ID.
Vic Schaefer's squad improved to 15-0, the third-best start in program history, with Sunday's 86-62 win at Georgia. The victory was State's first in Athens since 2002.
Teaira McCowan paced MSU with 26 points and 13 rebounds. That effort, combined with a 41-point performance against Mississippi Valley State, earned her SEC Player of the Week honors and a spot on the week's NCAA Starting 5.
McCowan rates third in the SEC in scoring with 20.3 ppg, and her 12.3 rebounds per contest stand second in the country and sixth nationally. The Brenham, Texas, native also tops the conference and stands fourth in NCAA Division I in field goal percentage (66.8 percent).
The effort at Georgia was her 11th double-double of the year, tops in the conference and third in the nation.
Victoria Vivians added 20 points in Sunday's win, putting her right behind McCowan in fourth place in the SEC with 19.8 ppg. The Carthage, Miss., native boasts the league's ninth-best field goal percentage (54 percent) and eighth-highest 3-point percentage (41.9 percent).
MSU faces an Arkansas team that heads to Starkville 10-4 under first-year coach Mike Neighbors. The Razorbacks also opened SEC play 1-0 after defeating Ole Miss 73-72 in Fayetteville on Sunday.
Malica Monk and Devin Cosper lead Arkansas in scoring with 16.9 and 16.4 ppg, respectively. Kiara Williams tops the Razorbacks on the boards with 8.2 rpg.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Arkansas
Time: Thursday, 8:02 p.m.
Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.
Admission: $5 adults/$3 age 17 & under/Free Bully's Kids Club (age 12 and under)
Watch Online: SEC Network (PxP – Paul Sunderland; Analyst – Debbie Antonelli)
Where To Watch: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Charlie Winfield)
PROMOTIONS
SERIES HISTORY
ARKANSAS (Series tied 18-18)
At MSU: MSU leads 10-6
At Arkansas: Arkansas leads 10-6
At Neutral Sites: Series tied 2-2
Last 10 Meetings
1/5/2017 W 59-51 A
1/31/2016 W 65-55 A
1/10/2016 W 80-55 H
1/8/2015 W 72-57 H
1/12/2014 W 54-50 A
2/3/2013 W 47-44 H
2/19/2012 L 53-67 A
1/26/2012 L 35-51 H
1/9/2011 L 56-61 H
1/14/2010 W 78-60 A
BULLDOG BITES
LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...
GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT
MSU will make its second-straight appearance on the SEC Network, with Paul Sunderland and Debbie Antonelli calling the action. Fans can also watch online at www.WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app.
Jason Crowder and Charlie Winfield will air the contest on the MSU Radio Network, with an online audio stream available at www.HailState.com/plus and the TuneIn app.
Humphrey Coliseum doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the game, which will be Blair Schaefer Senior Night. Fans can get a free poster of the senior guard, who is averaging 8.7 points on the year, and also take pictures with the 2017 TaxSlayer Bowl Trophy prior to the game.
Tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for youth age 17 and under. Bully's Kids Club members get free admission with their membership ID.
Vic Schaefer's squad improved to 15-0, the third-best start in program history, with Sunday's 86-62 win at Georgia. The victory was State's first in Athens since 2002.
Teaira McCowan paced MSU with 26 points and 13 rebounds. That effort, combined with a 41-point performance against Mississippi Valley State, earned her SEC Player of the Week honors and a spot on the week's NCAA Starting 5.
McCowan rates third in the SEC in scoring with 20.3 ppg, and her 12.3 rebounds per contest stand second in the country and sixth nationally. The Brenham, Texas, native also tops the conference and stands fourth in NCAA Division I in field goal percentage (66.8 percent).
The effort at Georgia was her 11th double-double of the year, tops in the conference and third in the nation.
Victoria Vivians added 20 points in Sunday's win, putting her right behind McCowan in fourth place in the SEC with 19.8 ppg. The Carthage, Miss., native boasts the league's ninth-best field goal percentage (54 percent) and eighth-highest 3-point percentage (41.9 percent).
MSU faces an Arkansas team that heads to Starkville 10-4 under first-year coach Mike Neighbors. The Razorbacks also opened SEC play 1-0 after defeating Ole Miss 73-72 in Fayetteville on Sunday.
Malica Monk and Devin Cosper lead Arkansas in scoring with 16.9 and 16.4 ppg, respectively. Kiara Williams tops the Razorbacks on the boards with 8.2 rpg.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Arkansas
Time: Thursday, 8:02 p.m.
Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.
Admission: $5 adults/$3 age 17 & under/Free Bully's Kids Club (age 12 and under)
Watch Online: SEC Network (PxP – Paul Sunderland; Analyst – Debbie Antonelli)
Where To Watch: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Charlie Winfield)
PROMOTIONS
- Blair Schaefer Senior Night – Free Blair Schaefer Posters
- Pregame Photos with the 2017 TaxSlayer Bowl Trophy
- $6 Pulled "Hog" Slaw Dog
- Bully's Kidz Kourt (Mize Pavilion – Opens 6:30 p.m.)
- Maroon Memory experiences (HailState.com/memories)
SERIES HISTORY
ARKANSAS (Series tied 18-18)
At MSU: MSU leads 10-6
At Arkansas: Arkansas leads 10-6
At Neutral Sites: Series tied 2-2
Last 10 Meetings
1/5/2017 W 59-51 A
1/31/2016 W 65-55 A
1/10/2016 W 80-55 H
1/8/2015 W 72-57 H
1/12/2014 W 54-50 A
2/3/2013 W 47-44 H
2/19/2012 L 53-67 A
1/26/2012 L 35-51 H
1/9/2011 L 56-61 H
1/14/2010 W 78-60 A
BULLDOG BITES
- MSU is seeking to win its SEC home opener for the 4th-straight season.
- State's 15-0 start is the third-best in program history.
- MSU is 1 of 4 undefeated teams in the nation.
- The 86 points against Georgia was the most allowed by UGA since 2006.
- State won at Athens for the first time since 2002.
- Its 86 points, 49.2% FG% and 19 assists were the best in the SEC on opening day.
- The State senior class has won 104-career games, 2nd in the SEC, 6th-most in the nation.
- MSU is facing a Mike Neighbors-coached team for the second-straight year. State defeated Washington 75-64 last season in the NCAA Sweet 16.
- The Bulldogs are Top 20 nationally in 10 categories. State is 11th in scoring offense (86.4 ppg) and 16th in scoring defense (55.0 ppg) this season.
- Teaira McCowan's 26 points was her best scoring output in an SEC game.
- McCowan averaged 33.5 pts. and 13 rbds. last week against MVSU and Georgia, earning MSU a 3rd-straight SEC Player of the Week award. She was also named to the NCAA Starting 5 for the second time.
- McCowan's 3 SEC POW awards ties for the MSU record.
- McCowan has recorded 11 double-doubles on the season, third in the nation and first in the SEC. She has 7 in a row.
- McCowan and Victoria Vivians are 3rd and 4th in the SEC in scoring with 20.3 and 19.8 ppg, respectively.
- Victoria Vivians is averaging 18.2 ppg against SEC foes the last 2 seasons. She had double figures in 21-straight games.
LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...
- Mississippi State knocked down 11 3-pointers and got 26 points and 13 rebounds from Teaira McCowan, 20 points from Victoria Vivians and 16 points out of Ro Johnson to open the SEC slate with an 86-62 win at Georgia on Dec. 31.
- State missed its first 7 3-point attempts but knocked down 11 of its final 22 from the arc as the Dawgs rallied from an early first-quarter deficit. MSU led 16-14 after the first 10 minutes, but opened up a decisive lead by out-scoring the host Lady Bulldogs 47-26 over the second and third quarters.
- MSU hit 49.2 percent from the field and scored 27 points off 20 UGA turnovers.
GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT
- Under first-year coach Mike Neighbors, Arkansas is 10-4 and has won 2-straight after defeating Grambling and Ole Miss. The Razorbacks are 8-0 in Fayetteville but 1-4 on the road.
- Malica Monk and Devin Cosper pace Arkansas in scoring with 16.9 and 16.4 ppg, respectively. Kiara Williams tops the Razorbacks on the boards with 8.2 rpg while scoring 7.5 ppg.
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
G
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