Mississippi State
Central Missouri (Exh.)
Howard's Double-Double Leads MSU To Exhibition Win
November 02, 2018 | Women's Basketball
By Brock Turnipseed, Associate Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Anriel Howard's double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds led six Bulldogs in double figures as No. 6 Mississippi State defeated Central Missouri 97-56 in women's basketball exhibition action Friday night at Humphrey Coliseum.
After trailing in the opening quarter, MSU out-scored the Jennies 84-39 the final three quarters to claim a 13th-straight exhibition win.
MSU used a 22-12 second quarter to take a 35-29 lead to halftime. In the second half, MSU out-paced Central Missouri 62-27 over the final two quarter to pull away for the win.
Howard tallied her 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting, and nine of her 11 boards came on the defensive end.
Teaira McCowan, the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, collected 16 points and six rebounds in 16 minutes, while Myah Taylor contributed 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting in her first action as a Bulldog.
Freshman Xaria Wiggins, senior Jazzmun Holmes and sophomore Chloe Bibby notched 10 points each.
"First of all, I just really want to take our hats off to Central Missouri," MSU head coach Vic Schaefer said. "I thought those kids came in here and really played hard. I think they got a little tired as the game went on and our pressure kind of caught up to them finally. They sure executed the heck out of everything in the first half, especially that first quarter.
"Obviously you score 62 points in a half you're doing some good things, and I was glad to see us get out in transition. Myah (Taylor) was probably our savior in the first half. She came off the bench when (Jazzmun Holmes) got in foul trouble and was 4-of-6 at halftime with four rebounds, four assists and two steals in sixteen minutes. I just thought she was really good for us coming off. Anriel (Howard) was 5-of-7 at the half, and so those two combined really did a good job. We're a work in progress, that's all I can tell you. We're a long way from where I want us to be, but I was glad we played somebody like them. They're good. They're a lot better than most any other team we could have played tonight. Tonight was really good for us."
The Bulldogs shot 59.2 percent from the field and were 4-of-11 (36.4 percent) from 3-point range. State held the Jennies to 34.5 percent from the floor for the game and 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from the arc.
MSU out-rebounded UCM 40-31 and dished 22 assists while collecting 13 steals.
After trailing by four after the opening quarter, Wiggins started the Bulldogs' second quarter off with a driving layup. A Howard jumper in the lane followed to tie the contest at 19 apiece.
UCM would extend the lead to five before a basket by Howard, a steal and finish by Taylor and a Jessika Carter jumper put State in front for good.
Another steal by Taylor led to an old-fashioned 3-point play that put the Dawgs up 28-24 with 3:06 left in the half, and a Bibby 3-pointer and Howard jumper helped State take a 35-29 lead at the half.
Howard collected 11 points and nine boards over the opening two quarters, while Taylor added nine points and four assists.
Howard and senior Jordan Danberry opened the second half with layups to put MSU up 10, 39-29. Moments later, 3-pointers by Wiggins and Bibby extended the State advantage to 14 at 46-32.
Wiggins added another triple with 3:41 left that put State ahead by 15, and sophomore Bre'Amber Scott tallied a steal and bucket to give the Dawgs a 57-40 lead with 3:16 left in the third quarter.
In the final minute of the third quarter, Howard and McCowan converted buckets to push the Bulldogs to a 21-point lead that they would take to the fourth.
State used suffocating pressure to out-pace UCM 31-10 over the final 10 minutes.
Two buckets each by McCowan and Howard ignited a 25-6 State run to close the game. McCowan had eight points in the run, while Danberry scored or assisted on seven of the Dawgs' points.
The Bulldogs officially open the 2018-19 campaign Tuesday, hosting Southeast Missouri State at 7 p.m. inside Humphrey Coliseum. Fans can watch the season-opening tilt online on the SEC Network +.
