Bulldogs Cap Non-Conference Slate with 89-50 Win vs. Little Rock

Sunday, December 29

Starkville

2:00 PM

Mississippi State

12-2,0-0SEC

Little Rock

2-9,0-0Sun Belt

Little Rock

Mississippi St.

Bulldogs Cap Non-Conference Slate with 89-50 Win vs. Little Rock

December 29, 2019 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)VIDEO: Danberry Interview Post Game Quotes

by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State closed out its non-conference slate with a wire-to-wire 89-50 victory against Little Rock on Sunday at Humphrey Coliseum.

The 15th-ranked Bulldogs (12-2) dominated the paint all game long, outscoring the Trojans 60-28 down low and outrebounding them 40-29. MSU finished with 17 second-chance points in the game compared to just two for Little Rock (2-9).

MSU was clicking on offense the entire game, matching its season high in shooting percentage with a .556 percent clip. All 12 Bulldogs scored during the game, with freshman Aliyah Matharu posting a game-high 18 points to go along with five rebounds and two steals in 13 minutes of action off the bench. Fellow freshman Rickea Jackson chipped in 14 points, five rebounds and two assists.

"I'm really proud of Aliyah [Matharu], coming off the bench today, shooting the ball extremely well, and not having any turnovers," head coach Vic Schaefer said. "She'll tell you that's a thing that's important to me."

Jordan Danberry recorded 15 points, four steals and three assists in the game, while Jessika Carter finished with her fifth double-double of the season behind 11 points and 14 boards to round out the double-digit performers.

Mississippi State did what it does best on the defensive end of the floor, forcing 23 turnovers that the Bulldogs converted into 27 points. The Bulldogs recorded nine steals and four blocks in the contest to prevent the Trojans, who shot 36 percent from the field, from getting into a groove on offense.

State got off to a quick start, using a 6-0 run to open the game and forcing Little Rock to call a timeout. Jackson had six points in the period, while Danberry added five to help the Bulldogs take an 18-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second stanza, MSU shot 57 percent from the floor to take a 37-23 advantage into halftime. Jackson continued to have the hot hand, dropping eight more points in the quarter to enter the break with a game-high 14 points.

Mississippi State shot 71 percent (10-of-14) from the floor in the third quarter, and Danberry had eight points in the period to eclipse double digits for the game. Little Rock's Kyra Collier posted 12 of her 16 points in the quarter to fuel the Trojan offense, but MSU still extended its lead to 62-41.

The final frame was all Mississippi State, as the Bulldogs outscored Little Rock 27-9. Matharu scored all 18 of her points in the quarter. On the other end of the floor, State's defense held the Trojans to just 20-percent shooting in the period.

"I'm really, really proud of our kids today, against a team a have a lot of respect for, in Joe Foley, and Little Rock," Schaefer said. "I thought we played, at times, pretty well. We had 60 points in the paint, which is what we had last year against them. That was our challenge and our goal today."

Up next, the Bulldogs begin conference play with a matchup against Florida on Jan. 2 at 7:10 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum. That game will be televised on SEC Network+ and will be carried on 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."