No. 6 MSU Hosts Central Missouri In Friday Exhibition

Friday, November 2

Starkville

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

Central Missouri (Exh.)

SEC Preseason Player of the Year Teaira McCowan and the No. 6 MSU women's basketball team hosts reigning Division II national champion Central Missouri Friday at 6 p.m.

No. 6 MSU Hosts Central Missouri In Friday Exhibition

November 01, 2018 | Women's Basketball

2018-19 Schedule Watch On SECN+MSU Game Notes UCM Game Notes

By Brock Turnipseed, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women's basketball, which is ranked No. 6 in both the Associated Press and USA Today preseason polls, gets its final tune-up for the 2018-19 season on Friday as it hosts Central Missouri in a 6 p.m. exhibition contest.

Admission to Friday's game at Humphrey Coliseum is free, and fans unable to attend can watch on the SEC Network + with Jason Crowder and Blair Schaefer on the call.

Mississippi State's clear bag policy and walk-through metal detectors will be in place for all home games this season.

On Wednesday, the Bulldogs garnered their highest ranking in the AP Preseason Top 25 at No. 6. The USA Today Coaches' Preseason Top 25 also had State at No. 6. MSU was the highest-ranked SEC team in both polls.

Friday's game features two teams that both made it to the end of their respective seasons. The Bulldogs won a nation's-best 37 games, captured the program's first SEC regular-season championship and ended the year as the NCAA National Finalist for the second-straight season.

Central Missouri won the Division II national championship with a 30-3 record.

GAME INFORMATION

Mississippi State vs. Central Missouri (Exhibition)
Tip: 6 p.m.
Location: Starkville, Mississippi (Humphrey Coliseum)
Admission: Free
Online: SEC Network + (Jason Crowder, PxP; Blair Schaefer, Analyst)
Radio: None

DAWGS ON A ROLL IN EXHIBITIONS

MSU enters Friday's game having won its last 12 exhibition contests, including all six under Vic Schaefer.
State defeated Arkansas-Fort Smith 100-67 last season. UAFS' head coach for that game was Elena Lovato, who rejoined the Mississippi State coaching staff as an assistant coach during the offseason.

LOOKING AT THE BULLDOGS VS. JENNIES

Although Friday's game won't officially count in the record books, it will be the second time the Dawgs have met Central Missouri.
The only meeting came 40 years ago — Dec. 15, 1978, to be exact — at the MUW Christmas Classic in Columbus, Miss. Central Missouri won that game 92-67.

GET TO KNOW CENTRAL MISSOURI

Central Missouri won the NCAA Division II national championship last season with a 30-3 record.
The Jennies return three starters from that team, including top scorers Paige Redmond (16.3 ppg) and Morgan Fleming (12.3 ppg).

BULLDOG BITES

Mississippi State is coming off a second-straight National Finalist finish. The Bulldogs won a school-record and nation's-best 37 games in 2017-18.
MSU's 37 victories are the second-most in SEC history, and it became the first league team to post an undefeated regular season since 1998.
The Bulldogs return one starter (senior Teaira McCowan) and seven letterwinners from last season's squad.
McCowan was named the Preseason SEC Player of the Year by both league media and coaches.
Graduate transfer Anriel Howard earned Preseason All-SEC honors from select league and national media, and was tabbed to the coaches' preseason All-SEC first team.
After winning the first SEC regular-season title for any MSU women's sport, the Bulldogs were picked to repeat as league champions by both the media and the coaches.
State was also ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 Poll that was released Wednesday. MSU was No. 4 in the final AP poll a year ago.
After compiling one of the nation's toughest schedules a year ago, the Bulldogs' 2018-19 is also a challenging one, with 13 games coming against teams that are coming off an NCAA Tournament berth.
A year ago, McCowan grabbed 544 rebounds, an SEC record and second-most in NCAA Division I history. She also set a league record with 29 double-doubles, the second-most in the nation a year ago and T10th in NCAA DI history.
With the addition of Howard, the Bulldogs now boast the Top 2 active rebounders in the SEC. McCowan leads the way with 1,015-career boards, while Howard follows with 1,002 rebounds.
McCowan and Howard also give Schaefer a combined 71-career double-doubles.
MSU also has the country's top returning rebounders from last season. McCowan's 13.9 rpg in 2017-18 leads the way, while Howard's 12.2 average is third.
McCowan and fellow senior Jazzmun Holmes enter the season with a 99-15 record. They need 27 wins to match last year's senior class for the program wins record (126).
Senior Jordan Danberry had the opportunity to go to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, and be recognized as one of the NCAA's Elite 90 Award winners. She was the recipient for women's basketball for having the highest GPA of players at the Final Four.
On Tuesday, Mississippi State announced plans to renovate Humphrey Coliseum with premium seating and an updated, widened concourse.
It was announced earlier this month that Mississippi State has been selected to go to Naples, Italy, in the summer of 2019 to represent the United States in the World University Games.