PREVIEW: #8 WBK Hoops vs. #16 Texas A&M

by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – No. 8 Mississippi State returns home Sunday for a big matchup against 16th-ranked Texas A&M at Humphrey Coliseum for a noon tip.

With the contest being the third color game of the season for MSU, fans are encouraged to wear pink for the pink out. MSU is also offering fans free brunch at the arena while supplies last.

The Bulldogs (21-3, 9-1 SEC) are looking for their second-straight victory over a ranked opponent after beating No. 23 Tennessee on the road Thursday, 72-55. Four players finished with double-figure scoring with reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Rickea Jackson leading the charge with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Texas A&M (18-4, 6-3 SEC) was the preseason favorite to win the SEC this season, but the injury of All-SEC guard Chennedy Carter set the Aggies back a little bit. When she is playing, Texas A&M is one of the top teams in the country. For the season, she is averaging 20.6 points per game.

Fans unable to attend can watch the game on ESPN with Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck on the call. The game will also be streamed on MSU Radio Network with Jason Crowder and Charlie Winfield 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 9-1 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.
• Freshman Rickea Jackson ranks second among SEC freshmen in scoring (16.2 ppg) and ranks second in field goal percentage (.481) during SEC play. For the year, she leads the team in scoring (13.9 ppg) and is third in rebounding (4.5 rpg). She has scored in double figures in 17 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. With four 20-point games during conference play, Jackson is the first MSU freshman to post multiple 20-point games in SEC play since Vivians had three.
• Jackson is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week after averaging averaging 23.0 points per game behind 60-percent shooting from the field in wins against Auburn and Georgia. This was the second time Jackson earned the weekly honor. Aliyah Matharu was the SEC FOW last week.
• Graduate guard Jordan Danberry leads the team steals (2.8 spg) while ranking second in assists (3.2 apg) and third in scoring (13.0 ppg). She ranks 13th among Division I players in total steals (67) and 23rd in steals per game to pace a Mississippi State defense that leads the SEC in turnovers forced per game (22.0).
• 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 13.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.9 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 4.5 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks eighth in the Division I. Her 213 rebounds are the 26th most in the country.
• During SEC play, State has three players that rank inside the top 15 in field goal percentage. Carter ranks first with a .642 clip, while Danberry (.514) is seventh and Jackson (.481) is 11th. As a team, MSU ranks second in the SEC with a .470 clip in league play.

State's Offense Among Best in the Country
• Although Vic Schaefer's teams are widely known for their defense, Mississippi State has established itself as one of the best offensive teams in Division I.
• This season, State ranks seventh in the nation in scoring margin (+22.5) and 10th in scoring offense at 80.5 ppg.
• With four players shooting over 50 percent from the field, the Bulldogs rank eighth in the country and top the SEC in field goal percentage with a .472 clip.
• Another key to MSU's offensive success has been its ability to take care of the ball and make the extra passes for better shots. State ranks fourth in the SEC in assists per game (14.0 apg) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.09).
• When the Bulldogs aren't knocking down shots, State is crashing the glass to get a second opportunity at a basket. With 338 offensive rebounds on the season, Mississippi State has gotten the rebound on 41 percent of its missed baskets and turned that into 360 second-chance points.

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 1088 of its points in the paint, which accounts for 56 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 527 turnovers forced into 594 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 360 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 663 bench points this year, State is getting an average of 27.6 points per game from the reserves. During SEC play, MSU's bench has outscored opponents in all but two games.
• When the Bulldogs get a turnover, one of the things that MSU wants to do is turn that into quick points in transition. So far, State has 355 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.

Jackson, Matharu Earn SEC Freshman of the Week Honors
• Entering the season, Mississippi State knew it would have to rely on freshmen in order to succeed and the group has lived up to the hype as the highest-rated signing class in program history. During conference play, Rickea Jackson (2x) and Aliyah Matharu (1x) have been tabbed the SEC Freshman of the Week a total of three times.
• Jackson most recently won the weekly award after averaging 23 points per game and shooting 60 percent from the field in State's wins against Auburn and Georgia.
• Jackson notched a career-high 24 points against Georgia, besting her previous career high of 22 points from the game before against Auburn.
• Matharu received the honor for averaging 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while coming off the bench in State's wins at Vanderbilt and against Ole Miss.
• 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 with 11 points in the win against Ole Miss.
• A freshman has been recognized for the weekly honor by the SEC 14 times under head coach Vic Schaefer. Jackson and Matharu are the first freshman duo 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: #8 WBK Hoops vs. #16 Texas A&M

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jessika Carter

Jordan Danberry

Jazzmun Holmes

Rickea Jackson

Aliyah Matharu

Teaira McCowan

Victoria Vivians

Morgan William

Mississippi State University Athletics