PREVIEW: Women’s Hoops at Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – As the regular season begins winding down, Mississippi State will look to build some momentum heading into the postseason this week, beginning with a road trip to play Alabama at Coleman Coliseum on Sunday at 2 p.m.

The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+ with Eli Gold (play-by-play) and Rick Moody (analyst) on the call. The matchup can also be streamed on the MSU Radio Network with Jason Crowder.

The Crimson Tide has claimed the last two meetings in the series, but Mississippi State has won three in a row against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. During the last 10 years, seven of the outcomes have been decided by fewer than 10 points.

Having only played two games in the last 34 days between COVID outbreaks at other programs and inclement weather, the Bulldogs will look to find a groove heading into the final week of the regular season. A win at Alabama would be a huge confidence boost, as the Crimson Tide is ranked 32nd in the NET rankings and boasts one of the best scoring trios in the country.

Bulldog Storylines

Rickea Jackson, who was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 watch list, is averaging a team-best 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. The sophomore forward owns two 30-point efforts and 10 games with 20+ points during her career.
One of the most efficient posts in the SEC, Jessika Carter ranks 45th in the country and fourth in the SEC in field goal percentage (.521). She owns 17 career double-doubles, leads the team rebounding (8.9 rpg) and is second in scoring (15.0).
The duo of Carter and Jackson has been a scoring nightmare for opposing defenses the last two seasons, with the two combining for 18 games with 20+ points. Jackson's 10 such performances ranks 11th in MSU history since 1999, while Carter's eight 20-point games stands as the 16th most.
After ranking eighth in the country and leading the SEC in assist/turnover ratio (2.80) last season, Myah Taylor picked up right where she left off, ranking 17th in the country and leading the SEC with a 2.86 assist/turnover ratio.
Between her scoring and assists, Taylor has been a major factor in State's offense this season. In fact, she has accounted for more than 25 percent of MSU's total scoring in seven contests, including two games during SEC play when she accounted for 50 percent or more of the team's scoring.
Because of their play this season, Carter, Jackson and Taylor were recognized as finalists for their Naismith Starting Five position awards. Jackson and Carter have also been tabbed to National Player of the Year watch lists. Combined, the trio averages 40.1 points, 16.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.
A scoring threat and spark off the bench for Mississippi State, Aliyah Matharu is making a strong case for SEC Sixth Woman of the Year. She is averaging 9.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game this year.
Mississippi State entered a new era during the 2020-21 campaign, as women's basketball hall of famer Nikki McCray-Penson takes the helm of the women's basketball program. The Collierville, Tenn., native boasts a decorated resume to this point in her career.
- 2017 National Championship
- 2x Olympic Gold Medalist
- 2x SEC Player of the Year
- 3x WNBA All-Star
- 1997 ABL MVP
- 1997 ABL Championship
Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, Mississippi State owns 139 wins, which is the fourth-most victories in all of Division I. UConn leads the way, while Baylor ranks second and Louisville is third.
Mississippi State wants to dominate the paint every game, and the offense's primary goal is to get the ball down low for a basket. MSU is outscoring opposing teams 544-330 in the paint, which is an average margin of more than 15.3 points per game.
The Bulldogs also average 6.9 threes per game this year, which ranks third all-time in MSU history for a single season. State only averaged more 3-pointers during the 2017-18 (7.1 3FG/game) and the 2009-10 (7.2 3FG/game) campaigns. State has been efficient from beyond the arc, shooting a .361 clip, which ranks fourth in program history for a single season.
In their game against Troy, the Bulldogs broke the program record and matched the SEC record for 3-pointers made in a single game (18).

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