Mississippi State
#13 Georgia
PREVIEW: Women’s Basketball Set To Host No. 13 Georgia Thursday in Annual ‘We Back Pat’ Game
January 19, 2022 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State women's basketball team will be back home for just the second time in conference play when they play host to No. 13 Georgia on Thursday. State will be wearing shirts honoring Pat Summit as part of the SEC's 'We Back Pat' week.
GAME INFORMATION
Mississippi State (11-5, 2-2 SEC) vs No. 13/13 Georgia (14-3, 3-2 SEC)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 20 // Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Starkville, Miss. (Humphrey Coliseum)
Watch: SEC Network+ // Listen: MSU Radio Network (Play-By-Play: Jason Crowder)
Series History
• Georgia leads the all-time series 28-21, with Mississippi State holding a 13-10 advantage in games played in Starkville.
• Mississippi State has won each of the last six meetings.
• The last time MSU and UGA met was on Dec. 31, 2020, when Mississippi State defeated Georgia in Athens, 69-62.
Getting Better During Conference Play
• Since the start of conference play on Jan. 2, Anastasia Hayes is averaging a team-best 23.0 points per game.
• Hayes' 23.0 ppg average is the best in the SEC since the start of conference play.
• She is one of just three players averaging at least 20 points per game in SEC play with Kentucky's Rhyne Howard (21.0) and LSU's Khayla Pointer (20.3).
• Hayes' 31-points against Vanderbilt are the most scored in an SEC game this season.
Charity Stripe Improvement
• In the last six games, Mississippi State has shown significant improvement from the free-throw line. Since Dec. 19, State is shooting 75% from the charity stripe (79-106), after shooting just 56% from the line in the first 10 games of the season (98-176). Twice in those six games, State has shot over 90% from the line, with at least 10 attempted free throws.
• Mississippi State has made double-digit free throws in five of the last six games after only reaching the double-digit mark in four of the previous 10 games.
• Leading the improved charity stripe effort has been Anastasia Hayes. In the first 10 games, Hayes was just 24-39 (61%) from the line but has flipped the script in the last four games she has played, going 18-21 (86%) from the line. JerKaila Jordan has also seen a significant improvement at the line. After shooting just 63% (12-19) in the first 10 games, Jordan has improved to 80% (12-15) in the last six games.
STATE by the Numbers
• Mississippi State averages 73.6 points per game (sixth-best in the SEC), with opponents averaging 64.4 ppg (11th in the SEC).
• State is shooting 42% from the floor while opponents are shooting 39%.
• The Bulldogs are averaging just 11.6 turnovers per game while forcing teams to turn the ball over 17.4 times per contest.
• Rickea Jackson is leading the Bulldogs in scoring (20.8), with Anastasia Hayes (17.8) and JerKaila Jordan (14.3) also averaging at least 10-points per contest.
• Denae Carter leads the team in rebounds per game (8.3) and blocks (2.1). The last freshman to lead the team in both categories was Martha Alwal in 2012 (7.2 rpg / 2.7 bpg).
Get-To-Know Georgia
• Georgia enters Thursday ranked No. 13 in both the AP Top-25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll.
• UGA is 14-3 overall and 3-2 in the SEC. They also enter on a two-game winning streak with wins at home against Alabama and on the road at Missouri.
• Georgia averages 73.7 points per game (fifth-best in the SEC) while allowing teams to score just 57.1 ppg (fourth-best). From the field, they shoot 45%, while opponents are shooting just 37%.
• They are led by Jenna Staiti, averaging 15.7 ppg and 7.8 rebounds per contest. Also, averaging double-digit points is Que Morrison (14.6) and Ashlee Sarah Barker (10.0). Morrison has been UGA's top scorer at 19.4 ppg in just SEC games.
• 10 different Bulldogs average at least 12 minutes per game, and all 13 players that have played at least five games average at least five minutes per night.
USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll
• Mississippi State is receiving votes in the Top 25 coaches' poll for the third week in a row.
Up Next
Mississippi State will be on the road for the fourth time in six SEC games. State will travel to Arkansas on Sunday to take on the Razorbacks at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
For the most up-to-date information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU women's basketball on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateWBK.
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