Mississippi State Tops Auburn 78-73

Thursday, January 30

Starkville

7:00 PM

Mississippi State

19-3,7-1SEC

Auburn

7-12,1-7SEC

Auburn

Mississippi St.

Mississippi State Tops Auburn 78-73

January 30, 2020 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)VIDEO: Postgame Press Conference VIDEO: Jackson Interview Quotes

by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – A high-scoring effort by freshman Rickea Jackson helped No. 9 Mississippi State erase a halftime deficit to defeat Auburn 78-73 on Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum.

"Winning in the SEC is really hard," head coach Vic Schaefer said. "I have to give Auburn a lot of credit for coming in and how hard they played. They have good players over there. Dasia Alexander and Unique Thompson are two really special kids and they came in and they were not phased."

Jackson finished with a career-high 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field. She scored 18 of her points in the second half to fuel the offense. The performance marked her third 20-point effort of the season and matched Victoria Vivians for the most by a freshman Bulldog under Schaefer.

"I've got a lot of confidence in Rickea," Schaefer said. "She's a pretty confident kid."

The Bulldogs (19-3, 7-1 SEC) faced just their fourth halftime deficit of the year against the Tigers (7-12, 1-7 SEC) but were able to force 12 turnovers in the second half to disrupt AU's offense. State swung the game in its favor with a strong third quarter, outscoring Auburn 27-13.

Mississippi State won the scoring battle in the paint 48-34 but competition on the battle on the glass 34-27. On the offensive end of the floor, the Bulldogs were efficient, shooting 55 percent from the field, but also had turnover issues due to Auburn's press. Defensively, MSU had 12 steals and forced 24 turnovers that it converted into 24 points.

Jessika Carter and Jordan Danberry each finished with 13 points to round out the double-digit scorers for State. Unique Thompson led Auburn with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Daisa Alexander had 20 points.

It was a defensive affair on both ends of the floor to begin the game, as the two teams combined for nine steals and 11 turnovers forced. Despite Carter picking up two fouls quickly, State held the scoring advantage in the paint, 10-4. Danberry ended the frame with her first 3-pointer in the last two seasons to even things at 15-15.

Both squads continued going back and forth in the second stanza and connected on more than 50 percent of their shots for the frame. However, four turnovers by MSU and a 9-0 run to end the half by Auburn swung the momentum in favor of the Tigers and helped them take a 40-33 lead at intermission.

Mississippi State stormed back in the third period, shooting 67 percent from the field and forcing nine turnovers to go up 60-53 entering the final frame. The Bulldogs ended the quarter on a 10-2 run. Jackson had 10 points in the period, while Carter chipped in nine. Auburn wouldn't go away quietly, but State's defense held the Tigers to just one basket during the final 4:15 of play. Jackson scored eight straight during the period to fuel the offense.

Up next, State wraps up its three-game home stretch by hosting Georgia at 6 p.m. Monday. The game will be televised on SEC Network and can be streamed on the MSU Radio Network. Mississippi State topped UGA early in the season in Athens, 73-66.

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."