Thursday, February 15
Nashville, Tenn.
7:30 PM
Mississippi State
at
Vanderbilt
No. 2 MSU Seeks To Clinch Share Of SEC Title Thursday At Vandy
February 14, 2018 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State has made a long list of "firsts" on the basketball court the last few years. The second-ranked Bulldogs can add another Thursday night at Vanderbilt as they could clinch a share of the program's first regular-season SEC Championship.
Tip for the game is set for 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn. The SEC Network will broadcast the contest nationally, with Pam Ward and Gail Goestenkors on the call.
The MSU Radio Network will also have the action on stations around the state, with free live audio streams available on www.hailstate.com/plus and the TuneIn app.
Vic Schaefer's team has already claimed the best start in school history with a 26-0 record that is the longest active win streak in the nation and the most wins in the country this season.
The Bulldogs' also claimed the program's best SEC win streak at 12-0 and have a chance to tie last season's squad for the most league victories at MSU.
Senior Victoria Vivians led the way with 23 points against Kentucky, raising her season scoring average to an SEC third-best 19.7 ppg. In SEC play, the Carthage, Miss., native is scoring at a 19.5 clip that is fourth in the conference.
Teaira McCowan notched her 18th double-double of the season with 21 points and 16 rebounds, putting her two back of tying the MSU single-season record for double-doubles.
McCowan is fourth in the league in scoring at 19.0 ppg and sixth in league play with an 18.1 average. The Brenham, Texas, native, the school record-holder for rebounds in a season, leads the SEC pulling down 13.3 rpg for the year and 14.2 in conference contests, and she tops the nation on the offensive glass hauling in 6.0 per game.
Roshunda Johnson provided a spark in last week's wins against Florida and Kentucky, averaging 19.5 ppg and shooting 60 percent from both the field and the 3-point arc. After knocking down an SEC personal-best 22 points in Gainesville, she returned to the Hump and notched 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 5-of-8 from 3-point range, against Kentucky.
Morgan William also heads to Nashville with a hot hand, knocking down 58.8-percent of her field goal attempts and 80-percent from 3-point range the last three games. The Birmingham, Ala., native notched eight assists with no turnovers last Sunday. William owns the second-best assist/turnover ratio in the country at 4.3.
Vanderbilt returns home from back-to-back road losses at Georgia and Auburn 6-20 overall and 2-10 in SEC play.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Vanderbilt
Location: Nashville, Tenn. (Memorial Gymnasium)
Date: Thursday, February 15
Time: 7:32 p.m. CT
Television: SEC Network (PxP – Pam Ward; Analyst – Gail Goestenkors)
Watch Online: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Charlie Winfield)
SERIES HISTORY
VANDERBILT (VU leads 36-19)
At MSU: MSU leads 13-12
At Vanderbilt: VU leads 18-3
At Neutral Sites: VU leads 6-3
Last 10 Meetings
2/9/2017 W 86-41 H
3/4/2016 W 63-46 N
2/25/2016 W 66-61 A
1/29/2015 W 69-44 H
1/11/2015 L 62-78 A
2/16/2014 W 64-62 H
1/3/2013 L 41-92 A
3/1/2012 L 51-67 N
2/5/2012 L 59-65 H
3/4/2011 L 55-69
BULLDOG BITES
LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...
GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT
Tip for the game is set for 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn. The SEC Network will broadcast the contest nationally, with Pam Ward and Gail Goestenkors on the call.
The MSU Radio Network will also have the action on stations around the state, with free live audio streams available on www.hailstate.com/plus and the TuneIn app.
Vic Schaefer's team has already claimed the best start in school history with a 26-0 record that is the longest active win streak in the nation and the most wins in the country this season.
The Bulldogs' also claimed the program's best SEC win streak at 12-0 and have a chance to tie last season's squad for the most league victories at MSU.
Senior Victoria Vivians led the way with 23 points against Kentucky, raising her season scoring average to an SEC third-best 19.7 ppg. In SEC play, the Carthage, Miss., native is scoring at a 19.5 clip that is fourth in the conference.
Teaira McCowan notched her 18th double-double of the season with 21 points and 16 rebounds, putting her two back of tying the MSU single-season record for double-doubles.
McCowan is fourth in the league in scoring at 19.0 ppg and sixth in league play with an 18.1 average. The Brenham, Texas, native, the school record-holder for rebounds in a season, leads the SEC pulling down 13.3 rpg for the year and 14.2 in conference contests, and she tops the nation on the offensive glass hauling in 6.0 per game.
Roshunda Johnson provided a spark in last week's wins against Florida and Kentucky, averaging 19.5 ppg and shooting 60 percent from both the field and the 3-point arc. After knocking down an SEC personal-best 22 points in Gainesville, she returned to the Hump and notched 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 5-of-8 from 3-point range, against Kentucky.
Morgan William also heads to Nashville with a hot hand, knocking down 58.8-percent of her field goal attempts and 80-percent from 3-point range the last three games. The Birmingham, Ala., native notched eight assists with no turnovers last Sunday. William owns the second-best assist/turnover ratio in the country at 4.3.
Vanderbilt returns home from back-to-back road losses at Georgia and Auburn 6-20 overall and 2-10 in SEC play.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Vanderbilt
Location: Nashville, Tenn. (Memorial Gymnasium)
Date: Thursday, February 15
Time: 7:32 p.m. CT
Television: SEC Network (PxP – Pam Ward; Analyst – Gail Goestenkors)
Watch Online: WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN App
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Charlie Winfield)
SERIES HISTORY
VANDERBILT (VU leads 36-19)
At MSU: MSU leads 13-12
At Vanderbilt: VU leads 18-3
At Neutral Sites: VU leads 6-3
Last 10 Meetings
2/9/2017 W 86-41 H
3/4/2016 W 63-46 N
2/25/2016 W 66-61 A
1/29/2015 W 69-44 H
1/11/2015 L 62-78 A
2/16/2014 W 64-62 H
1/3/2013 L 41-92 A
3/1/2012 L 51-67 N
2/5/2012 L 59-65 H
3/4/2011 L 55-69
BULLDOG BITES
- Mississippi State's 26-straight wins is the nation's longest active unbeaten streak. It is 1 of 2 Mississippi State's 26-straight wins is the nation's longest active unbeaten streak. It is 1 of 2 unbeaten teams in the country.
- A win Thursday would give State a share of its first SEC regular season championship and tie last season for the most SEC wins in school history.
- State's .923 winning percentage the last 2 years is 2nd-best in Division I. Its 60 wins are tied with UConn for most in DI.
- State has 7 wins against teams in this week's AP Top 25, tied for the most in the nation.
- MSU has held 8 of 12 SEC foes below 60 points, including the last 7 games. State is allowing 52.1 ppg the last 7 contests.
- State tops the SEC in offense (83.3 ppg) and defense (55.2 ppg). MSU is 1 of 2 teams (UConn) in the Top 10 in the nation in offense (9th) and Top 15 in defense (14th).
- MSU's 10.9 turnovers per game is 3rd-fewest in Division I.
- The last 4 games, State is out-scoring foes 89-15 in points off turnovers. It averages 24.3 ppg off turnovers for the season, 22.3 ppg in SEC play.
- Victoria Vivians notched her 13th 20-point game of the season with 23 against Kentucky. She has scored double figures in 25 of this season's 26 games.
- Vivians is 3rd in the SEC scoring 19.7 ppg. She's 4th in league games (19.5 ppg).
- Ro Johnson is averaging 19.5 ppg and shooting 60% from the field and 3-point range the last 2 games.
- Johnson is 3rd from 3-point range in SEC play (44%), while Blair Schaefer is 6th (43.2%).
- The last 7 games, Morgan William has 31 assists to 6 turnovers, a 5.2 assist/turnover ratio. William's 27 turnovers this season is 3rd-fewest in the nation for those averaging 3.0 apg.
LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...
- Mississippi State scored 23 points off 19 Kentucky turnovers as the Bulldogs claimed a 74-55 win against the Wildcats. Victoria Vivians poured in 23 points, while Teaira McCowan added her 18th double-double of the year with 21 points and 16 rebounds. Ro Johnson added 17 points.
- State hit 8 3-pointers in the opening half to take a 40-22 lead to the intermission. UK cut the lead to 9 in the 3rd quarter, but Johnson and Vivians hit back-to-back buckets to push the lead back to 13.
GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT
- Vanderbilt sits at 6-20 overall and 2-10 in SEC play. The Commodores have lost 3-straight games and return home after falling in back-to-back road games at Auburn and Georgia.
- Chelsie Hall paces 3 Commodores averaging double figures with 12.7 ppg. Hall and Christa Reed are the top scorers in SEC play at 11.8 ppg each.
Players Mentioned
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