State’s Late Rally Comes Up Short vs. No. 3 Stanford, 67-62

Saturday, November 30

Victoria, British Columbia (CARSA Performance Gym)

9:30 PM

Mississippi State

8-1

#3 Stanford

8-0

Stanford

Mississippi St.

State’s Late Rally Comes Up Short vs. No. 3 Stanford, 67-62

November 30, 2019 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

VICTORIA, British Columbia – A late rally came up just short as 10th-ranked Mississippi State fell to No. 3 Stanford, 67-62, in the Greater Victoria Invitational championship game.

After Stanford extended its lead to 64-50 with 5:10 remaining in the game, State (8-1) rallied behind strong defensive play. The Bulldogs didn't allow a basket the rest of the contest and used a 12-1 run to make it a 65-62 game with less than a minute left.

After a steal by Jordan Danberry gave MSU the ball with 32 seconds remaining, JaMya Mingo-Young got off a solid 3-point attempt to tie things up, but the shot bounced off the rim and landed in Stanford's possession. The Cardinal (8-0) knocked down a pair of free throws to hold off the rally and seal the game.

"I am disappointed, but I am proud of my kids," said head coach Vic Schaefer. "I thought we fought and competed. I thought we made enough plays there at the end to win. We had something go against us that shouldn't have, but that's part of the game. We didn't come out in the second half ready to play. They did and they popped us. We ended up putting a young lineup out on the floor. Just real proud of those kids and how hard they competed. I just love their toughness.

"JaMya played her heart out. She came off the bench and played 30 minutes at point for me and did a heck of a job. Rickea Jackson, Jessika Carter, two young kids who are just now getting into the fray along with Xaria Wiggins and Andra Espinoza Hunter were the other four. That group right there fought tooth and nail to the bitter end. Really proud of them. That is the No. 3 team in the country. We just took them down to the wire and had a chance to win. We made a good defensive play and still had a wide open three at the end to tie it. I am proud of my kids. I couldn't be prouder of them."

Jackson led the team in scoring, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting to go along with four rebounds. Carter had a solid performance with 10 points, six rebounds and four blocks. Danberry, who had seven points, three steals and two blocks, was tabbed to the all-tournament team.

For the first time this season, State lost the battle in the paint. Stanford dominated the glass all game long, outrebounding MSU 51-31. The Cardinal 15 offensive boards that they converted to 15 second-chance points. Stanford also held a 36-28 scoring advantage in the paint.

Defensively, the Bulldogs settled in and were able to disrupt Stanford, whose 67 points were a season low. State forced 20 turnovers to go along with nine steals and eight blocks.

Both teams battled in the first quarter. State shot 42 percent from the field while holding the Cardinal to just 28 percent. Stanford dominated the glass, though, with an 18-7 rebounding advantage. After 10 minutes of action, the two squads were knotted at 17-17.

The Bulldogs got hot from deep in the second stanza, connecting on four deep balls in the period to fuel the offense. Stanford continued to win the battle in the paint, outscoring MSU 22-14 down low in the first half. The Cardinal also went 10-of-11 from the charity stripe to take a 35-33 lead into intermission.

The third period was all Stanford out the gate. After State evened the score, the Cardinal used a 12-0 run to gain all the momentum. Mississippi State ended the frame on 5-0 run to make it a 55-47 game.

Stanford regained the momentum to begin the final frame, building its lead to 14 points. State rallied late behind six points from Jackson and lockdown defense, but the Bulldogs couldn't complete the comeback.

Up next, Mississippi State returns home for a matchup against No. 23 West Virginia as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge next Sunday. The game will tip at 1 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network. It will also be carried by the MSU Radio Network.

For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU women's basketball on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateWBK."