Thursday, January 3
Fayetteville, Ark.
6:00 PM
Mississippi State
at
Arkansas
Reigning SEC Champions Open Conference Play Thursday
January 02, 2019 | Women's Basketball
by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's No. 7/6 women's basketball team opens conference play at Arkansas on Thursday to defend its 2017-18 SEC regular season championship. State wrapped up the non-conference slate with a 12-1 record.
Tipoff on SEC Network is set for 6 p.m. CT with Courtney Lyle and Tamika Catchings on the call. Fans can listen to the action on the MSU Radio Network and online via HailState.com/Plus and the TuneIn app.
The Bulldogs lead the nation in scoring, averaging 92.6 ppg, after posting 100-plus points in each of their last two games. Meanwhile, Arkansas enters the contest on a six-game winning streak while leading the SEC in free throw attempts. MSU's turnover margin is second only to Kentucky in the conference, but the Razorbacks average just 12.1 turnovers per game, which is 8th in the nation.
State's defense is second in the SEC, allowing just 52.1 ppg, and the Dawgs boast the top scoring margin (+40.5) in the country. MSU also tops the conference in field goal percentage (56.1 percent), rebounding (45.85 rpg), blocked shots (7.2 bpg), assists (19.3 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.52).
Individually, Teaira McCowan and Anriel Howard are the only pair of teammates in the SEC to be among the top 10 in the conference in both scoring and rebounding. Jazzmun Holmes continues to lead the country in assist/turnover ratio at 4.93.
Last year, MSU posted the first undefeated regular season by an SEC team since 1997-98. Along the way, the Bulldogs built a 16-game winning streak in regular-season conference play that will be put to the test on Thursday night.
The Bulldogs' SEC home opener will be Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. CT in Humphrey Coliseum when MSU hosts No. 16/15 Kentucky.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Arkansas
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas (Bud Walton Arena)
Time: Thursday, 6 p.m.
Watch: SEC Network (PxP – Courtney Lyle; Analyst – Tamika Catchings)
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Blair Schaefer)
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: MSU leads 19-18
At MSU: MSU leads 11-5
At ARK: ARK leads 11-6
Neutral Sites: Series tied 2-2
Last Meeting: MSU, 111-69 (1/14/18 in Starkville)
BULLDOG BITES
LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...
GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT…
DAWGS MAKE IT 47 WEEKS IN A ROW IN AP TOP 10
MCCOWAN, HOLMES WIN NO. 111
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's No. 7/6 women's basketball team opens conference play at Arkansas on Thursday to defend its 2017-18 SEC regular season championship. State wrapped up the non-conference slate with a 12-1 record.
Tipoff on SEC Network is set for 6 p.m. CT with Courtney Lyle and Tamika Catchings on the call. Fans can listen to the action on the MSU Radio Network and online via HailState.com/Plus and the TuneIn app.
The Bulldogs lead the nation in scoring, averaging 92.6 ppg, after posting 100-plus points in each of their last two games. Meanwhile, Arkansas enters the contest on a six-game winning streak while leading the SEC in free throw attempts. MSU's turnover margin is second only to Kentucky in the conference, but the Razorbacks average just 12.1 turnovers per game, which is 8th in the nation.
State's defense is second in the SEC, allowing just 52.1 ppg, and the Dawgs boast the top scoring margin (+40.5) in the country. MSU also tops the conference in field goal percentage (56.1 percent), rebounding (45.85 rpg), blocked shots (7.2 bpg), assists (19.3 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.52).
Individually, Teaira McCowan and Anriel Howard are the only pair of teammates in the SEC to be among the top 10 in the conference in both scoring and rebounding. Jazzmun Holmes continues to lead the country in assist/turnover ratio at 4.93.
Last year, MSU posted the first undefeated regular season by an SEC team since 1997-98. Along the way, the Bulldogs built a 16-game winning streak in regular-season conference play that will be put to the test on Thursday night.
The Bulldogs' SEC home opener will be Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. CT in Humphrey Coliseum when MSU hosts No. 16/15 Kentucky.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Arkansas
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas (Bud Walton Arena)
Time: Thursday, 6 p.m.
Watch: SEC Network (PxP – Courtney Lyle; Analyst – Tamika Catchings)
Listen: MSU Radio Network and HailState.com/Plus (PxP – Jason Crowder; Analyst – Blair Schaefer)
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: MSU leads 19-18
At MSU: MSU leads 11-5
At ARK: ARK leads 11-6
Neutral Sites: Series tied 2-2
Last Meeting: MSU, 111-69 (1/14/18 in Starkville)
BULLDOG BITES
- The Bulldogs set a new school record with their sixth 100-point game of the year on Sunday, defeating Louisiana, 104-36. The SEC record is 10 games set by Alabama in the 1991-92 season.
- Seniors Jazzmun Holmes and Teaira McCowan have won 111-career games, 3rd-most in the nation since 2015-16. Their 83 wins since 2016-17 are tied with UConn for the nation's best.
- State has been in the AP poll 83 straight weeks, including 47 weeks in a row in the Top 10.
- The Bulldogs are the nation's best scoring offense, averaging 92.6 ppg. Its 52.1 ppg allowed is 9th in the country, giving the Dawgs the highest scoring margin (+40.5) in Division I.
- MSU tops the SEC in FG% (51.6%), rebounding (45.8 rpg), assist/turnover ratio (1.5), assists (19.3 apg), rebound margin (+17.0), and scoring offense.
- The Bulldogs continue to lead the nation in blocked shots with 94 on the year, 7.2 bpg. Teaira McCowan's 37 blocks are 6th in the nation and lead the SEC.
- Jazzmun Holmes leads the nation with a 4.93 assist/turnover ratio. Jordan Danberry is 5th in the SEC (2.05). They have helped MSU to DI's 6th-best ratio (1.52).
- Teaira McCowan has scored double figures in 18 of her last 20 games going back to last season, with 9 of those being 20-point efforts. The two-time SEC Player of the Week is 17-of-18 from the free throw line over her last 6 games and shooting 69.6% from the field.
- Over the last 6 games, Jazzmun Holmes has turned in 35 assists with just 8 turnovers. She is averaging 10.0 ppg with a 46.3% FG% (19-of-41) and making 21-of-22 from the free throw line.
- Chloe Bibby is 2nd in the SEC, and 20th in the nation, sinking the triple at a 46.6% clip.
- Anriel Howard and Teaira McCowan are the only pair of teammates in the SEC to be among the top 10 in the league in both scoring and rebounding average.
- MSU won its 700th game in program history on Dec. 14, defeating Southern Miss, 86-42.
LAST TIME OUT FOR MSU...
- The Bulldogs' recorded their sixth 100-point game of the year, defeating Louisiana, 104-36. State broke its school record for 100-point games in a season, set last year (5).
- Bre'Amber Scott led the way with a career-high 21 points on the back of a career-best 5 3FGs. Xaria Wiggins scored a career-high 10 points, and Jessika Carter had a career-best 10 rebounds.
- MSU scored the first 22 points of the game and matched its season-high with 12 blocks.
GET TO KNOW THE OPPONENT…
- Arkansas enters the game with an 11-3 record while riding a six-game winning streak. The Razorbacks claimed a 76-57 win against Jackson State last time out.
- Arkansas leads the SEC and is 5th in the nation in free throw attempts (316) this season, but the Razorbacks are 12th in the league in free throw percentage.
- Chelsea Dungee, Malica Monk and Alexis Tolefree have scored 591 of Arkansas' 1,044 points this season. That is 56.6% of the team's offense.
- The Razorbacks average just 12.1 turnovers per game, which is 8th in the nation.
DAWGS MAKE IT 47 WEEKS IN A ROW IN AP TOP 10
- MSU rose one spot to No. 7 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll, extending its 47-week streak in the Top 10. That is the fourth-longest streak in the nation.
- The Dawgs have been in the poll for 83-straight weeks, the 6th-longest active streak in the country.
- MSU is 1 of 2 teams to have its football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams in the AP poll (Kentucky).
MCCOWAN, HOLMES WIN NO. 111
- Seniors Jazzmun Holmes and Teaira McCowan picked up career victory No. 111 on Sunday against Louisiana. That total is the 3rd-most nationally since 2015-16 and 15 wins away from matching last year's class (126) for the program's career wins record.
- They have recorded 83 wins since 2016-17, tied with UConn (83) for the most in the country.
Players Mentioned
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