PREVIEW: #9 WBK Hoops vs. Auburn

by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – After defeating Ole Miss for the 12 straight game, No. 9 Mississippi State continues its three-game stretch at Humphrey Coliseum on Thursday night, taking on Auburn at 7 p.m. CT.

The Bulldogs (18-3, 6-1 SEC) are coming off a 80-39 victory against their in-state foe on Sunday to record their largest margin of victory against the Rebels in program history (41). For her performances against Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, Aliyah Matharu earned her first nod from the SEC, bringing home SEC Freshman of the Week honors. She averaged 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while coming off the bench. Her teammate Rickea Jackson was given the same accolade earlier in the season and is a major offensive threat for State, dropping 12 points on the Rebels and is averaging 13.0 points per game on the season. Graduate Jordan Danberry continued her impressive play dishing out eight assists and adding five points.

Auburn's (7-11, 1-6 SEC) lone conference victory came against Ole Miss on Jan. 23. Junior Unique Thompson leads the Tigers in points per game (16.9) and rebounds per game (12.2). She has posted 17 double-doubles in 18 games. The forward has 37 career double-doubles, which ranks first among active SEC players. She has been named the SEC Player of the Week twice this season, most recently on Dec. 30^th. Senior Daisa Alexander is averaging 13.3 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game and a team-leading 2.4 assists.

"We've got another tough week with Auburn coming in on Thursday," said head coach Vic Schaefer. "They had a heck of a game with Kentucky on the road. I was really impressed with how they played. You're going to have to deal with one of the premier players in our league in Unique Thompson. They do a tremendous job with their style of play, pressing you the whole game and their zone defense. We are going to really have to do a great job with preparation in two quick days that we have. Last year, we had an extra day because we played them on a Monday night down there. We will have to do a great job with preparation. I am anxious to see our kids after our game on Sunday and see how we come out ready to go today."

The first 500 fans will receive a voucher for a custom Mississippi State women's basketball cup, which can be picked up after the game is over.

Fans unable to attend can watch on the SEC Network+ with Charlie Winfield and Bart Gregory on the call. The game will also be streamed on MSU Radio Network with Jason Crowder and Jonathan Holmes on the call and can be streamed on HailState.com/plus and the Tune In app.

State's clear bag policy and walk-through metal detectors will be in place for all home games this season. For all gameday information, visit www.HailState.com/Gameday.

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."

Bulldog Bites
• With Mississippi State currently 6-1 in SEC play, the Bulldogs have their sights set on a third consecutive SEC title, a feat that no program has accomplished outright since 2001-04.
• Graduate guard Jordan Danberry leads the team in scoring (13.6 ppg) and steals (2.6 spg) while ranking second in assists (3.1 apg). She ranks 19th among Division I players in total steals (55) and 30th in steals per game to pace a Mississippi State defense that ranks second in the SEC in turnovers forced per game (21.7).
• Freshman Rickea Jackson currently ranks second among SEC freshmen in field goal percentage (.482) and is fourth in scoring (14.6 ppg) during SEC play. For the year, she is third on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (4.4 rpg). She has scored in double figures in 14 games on the year.
• Jackson marks the first true freshman to start the season for Schaefer since 2014-15 with Victoria Vivians, who was second team All-SEC during her first season after averaging 14.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Jackson is the first MSU freshman to post multiple 20-point games in SEC play since Vivian had three such performances.
• Freshman Aliyah Matharu earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after averaging 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game vs. Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. She scored 11 of MSU's 22 points in the fourth quarter at VU and then dropped 11 against the Rebels.
• State's freshmen are averaging 26.7 points per game this year and have posted a combined 24 double-digit scoring efforts.
• With the departure of SEC Player of the Year Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State had a major void to fill in the post this season. Sophomore forward Jessika Carter has helped answer that need, averaging 13.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. As a sophomore, McCowan averaged 8.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
• Carter has been one of the nation's top rebounders this season, especially on the offensive end of the floor. She is averaging 4.6 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks ninth in the Division I. Her 199 rebounds are the 20th most in the country.
• The duo of Chloe Bibby and Andra Espinoza-Hunter, known as the Splash Sisters, have combined to hit 53 percent of State's 3-pointers this season. Bibby leads the team with 33 threes, while Espinoza-Hunter ranks second with 17.

Carter Having A Breakout Season
• Jessika Carter has been a major bright spot on Mississippi State's roster and is having a breakout season.
• The sophomore forward ranks inside the top 10 in the league in rebounding (9.5 rpg/3rd), field goal percentage (.584/3rd), blocks (2.1/4th) and free throw percentage (.710/7th) and is 15th in scoring at 13.4 ppg.
• The Waverly Hall, Ga., native ranks fifth in the nation in offensive rebounding (4.6 orpg) and is 46th in rebounding.
• Carter has led State in rebounding 13 times and has scored double-figures in 15 contests, including four 20-point performances. She has also posted seven double-doubles and has four games with four blocks.
• Carter was named SEC Player of the Week after dominating in State's wins over Murray State and Troy, averaging 22.0 points, 16.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.
• Against Murray State, she recorded the first double-double of her career with 25 points and 18 rebounds, both of which were personal bests at the time.
• She grabbed a career-high 21 boards at Marquette to go along with 14 points.
• Carter earned a spot on the Duel in the Desert all-tournament team after posting 13 points and 15 boards against Virginia in the championship game.
• Had a strong couple of games back to back against Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, posting a pair of 20-point games.

Deep Dive into State's Specialty Stats
• When it comes to specialty stats, Mississippi State leads its opponents in all five categories this year.
• The Bulldogs have been able to score at will down low this season. MSU has posted 972 of its points in the paint, which accounts for 57 percent of the team's total scoring. State has scored at least 50 points in the paint seven times.
• With defense being a top priority, Mississippi State has been able to turn its 456 turnovers forced into 526 points. That accounts for nearly a third of the team's scoring this year.
• MSU is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to field goal percentage, but when it does miss, State has been able to get an offensive rebound on 41 percent of its missed shots, which the Bulldogs have capitalized on and turned into 323 second-chance points.
• While MSU has three starters that are averaging double-digit scoring, Mississippi State's bench has also provided a much-needed spark in several games this season. With 581 bench points this year, State is getting an average of 28 points per game from the reserves. During SEC play, MSU's bench has outscored opponents in all but one game.
• When you get a turnover, one of the things that MSU wants to do is turn that into quick points in transition. So far, State has 316 fast break points this season.

State Going Wire to Wire
• Mississippi State has been quick to get a leader over opponents this year to get the momentum in its favor. The Bulldogs own eight wire-to-wire victories in which they never trailed.
• Three of the games have come against SEC opponents, including an 80-39 win against Ole Miss that saw MSU open the game on a 12-0 run.
• In six of the wire-to-wire wins, State scored within a minute of the tip to get the offense rolling early.

Matharu Named SEC Freshman of the Week
• Behind a pair of double-digit scoring efforts against Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, Mississippi State's Aliyah Matharu was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Jan. 28.
• The freshman guard helped the ninth-ranked Bulldogs go 2-0 on the week, averaging 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while coming off the bench.
• Down by two possessions entering the fourth quarter at Vanderbilt, Matharu scored 11 of MSU's 22 points to fuel the offense and recorded three steals to spearhead a zone defense by State that held the Commodores to just two points in the period. She finished with 14 points, four rebounds and a career-high four steals.
• The Washington, D.C., native followed that performance up by posting her seventh double-digit scoring effort of the year and third in a row with 11 points behind three 3-pointers to help lift the Bulldogs to their 12th straight win against Ole Miss.
• This is the 13th time a freshman has been recognized for the weekly honor by the SEC under head coach Vic Schaefer. With Rickea Jackson also being named SEC Freshman of the Week earlier this year, the freshman duo marks the first to win the award in the same season since Victoria Vivians and Morgan William achieved the same feat during the 2014-15 campaign.

State Assistants Recognized for Coaching Efforts
• Mississippi State's two associate head coaches have each been recognized for their professionalism, hard work and promise in the coaching field.
• Johnnie Harris, who was named the WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018, has been selected to participate in this year's NEXT UP program at the Final Four. This is a competitive program that promotes up-and-coming coaches in women's basketball that are likely to become head coaches.
• Harris has been responsible for coaching some of the best post players in program history at State, including Teaira McCowan who she mentored during record-setting senior and junior campaigns in 2017-19.
• Dionnah Jackson-Durrett was honored last month at the 2019 Delux Power 100, which recognizes the top 100 professionals and influential leaders from St. Louis. She is considered one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the country.
• An All-America point guard at Oklahoma, Jackson-Durrett's presence in Starkville has been felt since she arrived in 2015. Working with the point guards, Mississippi State recorded its top three assists marks for a single season each of the last three years under her guidance and coached and mentored arguably the two best point guards ever to play for the Bulldogs in Jazzmun Holmes and Morgan William.

PREVIEW: #9 WBK Hoops vs. Auburn

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Players Mentioned

Chloe Bibby

Jessika Carter

Jordan Danberry

Andra Espinoza-Hunter

Jazzmun Holmes

Rickea Jackson

Aliyah Matharu

Teaira McCowan

Victoria Vivians

Morgan William

Mississippi State University Athletics