Women's Basketball Travels for In-State Matchup at Southern Miss Friday

Friday, December 14

Hattiesburg, Miss.

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

Southern Miss

Women's Basketball Travels for In-State Matchup at Southern Miss Friday

December 13, 2018 | Women's Basketball

Live Video ($)Online Audio Radio Info Live Stats Game Notes

by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's women's basketball team begins a three-game stretch on the road Friday night when the No. 5 Bulldogs head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi for a date with Southern Miss.

Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT with a live video stream available through ESPN+, which requires an additional subscription. Fans can listen to the action on the MSU Radio Network and online via HailState.com/Plus and the TuneIn app.

The Bulldogs enter the game with a 46-game winning streak in regular-season non-conference contests, dating back to Dec. 2, 2015. Last year, State regained a lead in the all-time series against the Golden Eagles with a 91-56 win in Starkville while stretching its winning streak in the series to six games.

Friday will also be a special day for senior Jordan Danberry as she will walk in MSU's commencement ceremony that morning before joining the team in Hattiesburg.

Vic Schaefer's squad is second in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 93.0 ppg, while holding opponents to just 51.2 ppg, which ranks fifth in the country. That has led the Bulldogs to the highest scoring margin in Division I, outscoring their opponents by an average of 41.8 ppg.

The Bulldogs also lead the nation in blocks per game (8.0) and have the No. 7 turnover margin (+8.6) in the nation. According to HerHoopStats.com, MSU is the nation's sixth-best team when it comes to defending inside the three-point arc, holding opponents to 34.2 percent shooting.

Following Friday's contest, MSU embarks on a 5,207-mile round-trip journey next week to No. 7 Oregon and Washington. The Bulldogs and Ducks tip off at 9 p.m. on Dec. 18. State then heads to Seattle to meet the Huskies at 9 p.m. on Dec. 20.

GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Southern Miss
Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi (Reed Green Coliseum)
Time: Friday, 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+ (PxP – Lee Applewhite; Analyst – Lee Roberts)
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Charlie Winfield; Analyst – Blair Schaefer)

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: MSU leads 23-22
At MSU: MSU leads 14-8
At USM: USM leads 14-9
Neutral Sites: Tied 0-0
Last Meeting: MSU, 91-56 (11/19/17 in Starkville)

BULLDOG BITES

MSU is seeking the 700th win in program history on Friday. State holds a 699-612 all-time record.
State has won 45 straight regular-season non-conference contests. The Dawgs have won 11-straight non-conference road games and 19 such contests at home, with the last setback coming at Texas on Dec. 2, 2015.
Seniors Jazzmun Holmes and Teaira McCowan have won 108 career games, 4th-most in the nation since 2015-16. Their 80 wins since 2016-17 are second only to UConn.
State has been in the AP poll 80 straight weeks, including 42 weeks in a row in the Top 10.
The Bulldogs are the nation's 2nd-best scoring offense, averaging 93.0 ppg. Its 51.2 ppg allowed is 5th in the country, giving the Dawgs the highest scoring margin (41.8) in Division I.
MSU tops the SEC in FG% (51.9%), rebounding (47.2 rpg), assist/turnover ratio (1.5), assists (20.2 apg), rebound margin (+18.1), scoring offense and scoring defense.
The Bulldogs continue to lead the nation in blocked shots with 64 on the year, 8.0 bpg. Teaira McCowan's 27 blocks are 3rd in the nation and lead the SEC.
Jazzmun Holmes leads the nation with a 5.4 assist/turnover ratio. Jordan Danberry is 5th in the SEC (2.0). They have helped MSU to DI's 6th-best ratio (1.5).
Teaira McCowan scored double figures in 15-straight games going back to last season, with 10 of those being 20-point efforts. The two-time SEC Player of the Week is averaging 20.6 ppg, 12.2 rpg and shooting 74.6% from the field over the last five games.
Jazzmun Holmes dished out a career-high 13 assists last week against then-No. 18 Marquette. That total tied the Humphrey Coliseum record set by Katia May vs. Tennessee Tech (11/21/13).
Chloe Bibby is 1st in the SEC, 7th in the nation, sinking the triple at a 53.5% clip.
Anriel Howard scored a career-high 29 points to lead MSU in last week's win over Marquette.

LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...

State held on for an 87-82 win over then-No. 18 Marquette in a back-and-forth contest that featured 25 lead changes.
Jazzmun Holmes tied the Humphrey Coliseum record with a career-high 13 assists. Anriel Howard scored a career-best 29 points to go along with a dozen rebounds as both she and Teaira McCowan (24 pts, 18 rebs) recorded double-doubles.

GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT…

Southern Miss defeated Alcorn State, 66-47, on Tuesday night to bring a 6-3 record into Friday's contest.
The Golden Eagles are led by Megan Brown who averages 11.6 ppg. Shonte Hailes leads them in rebounding (4.8 rpg).
Brown is tied for 14th in the nation at the free throw line, shooting 92.0%. Alarie Mayze is also 39th in the country with 2.9 steals per game.

JAZZ DROPS DIMES

Jazzmun Holmes is a big reason MSU is one of the nation's best in assists and assist/turnover ratio. Last week, she dished out a career-high and Humphrey Coliseum-record 13 assists against Marquette. That mark is second only to Polly Branch's 17 against Bryan (2/1/86) in MSU history.
She is 3rd in the SEC dishing 5.4 apg, but she has taken care of the basketball, leading the nation with a 5.4 assist/turnover ratio.
The Gulfport, Miss., native notched career assist No. 300 against Furman, and her 323-career dimes are 6th by an active SEC player and 8 back of 10th place in the MSU record books.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES ABOUND

McCowan and Howard are not only two of the nation's returning rebounds leaders, but they're also among the country's best at collecting double-doubles.
McCowan collected her 7th double-double of the season and 46th for her career in last week's win over Marquette, 4th-most among active Division I players.
Howard collected her second as a Bulldog against the Golden Eagles, leading all scorers with 29 points and 12 rebounds. It was the 35th double-double of her career, 11th among active DI players.
Their 81 combined double-doubles are the most among teams in the nation.