WBK Preview: at Ole Miss

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women's basketball is back on the road for a pair of games this week with trips to Ole Miss and Georgia. The two-game road trip will commence in Oxford when the Bulldogs take on in-state rival Ole Miss. The meeting will be the second between the two programs this season.

GAME INFORMATION
Mississippi State (15-5, 4-3 SEC) at Ole Miss (16-4, 5-2 SEC)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023 // Time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss. (The Pavilion)
Watch: SEC Network (Talent: Eric Frede & Tamika Catchings)
Listen: MSU Radio Network (Play-By-Play: Jason Crowder)

Numbers To Know
17 • The Bulldogs have recorded 10+ assists in 17 straight games and 19 of 20 games this season. It's tied for the longest streak since at least the 2006-07 season. MSU leads the SEC in assists per game (17.1).
85% • The Bulldogs were 17-for-20 (85%) from the free throw line against Kentucky. In the second half MSU was 16-for17 (94%) from the charity stripe, including making 15 straight during that stretch.
52 • Jessika Carter leads the SEC in blocked shots (52) and blocks per game (2.6). She is one of two players in the SEC with 50+ blocked shots. Carter is nine blocked shots shy of setting a new career high. She had 60 during the 2019-20 season.
20 • Jessika Carter has taken every jump ball for Mississippi State this season. Through 20 games, Carter is a perfect 20-for-20 in the jump ball circle. The Bulldogs have scored on their opening possession six times and have scored first in 11 games.

Series History
• Mississippi State and Ole Miss will meet for the 104th time in the series' history. Ole Miss leads the all-time series, 65-38. Ole Miss is on a one-game winning streak after defeating MSU 61-50 on Jan. 1 in Starkville.
• When the game is played in Oxford, the Rebels lead the series 33-15. Ole Miss won last year's meeting in Oxford, 86-71.
• Mississippi State has won 15 of the last 17 meetings.
• Since 2009, the Bulldogs are 23-5 in the series.

Best Defender In America
• Jessika Carter leads the SEC in blocked shots (52) and blocks per game (2.6). Alabama's Jada Rice joins her as the only two players in the SEC with 50+ blocked shots.
• In conference games only, Carter ranks second behind Aliyah Boston (19) with 16 blocked shots. Boston has played one more game than Carter.
• Jessika ranks 7th in the NCAA in blocked shots and 10th in blocks per game.
• She is nine blocked shots shy of setting a new career high. She had 60 during the 2019-20 season. • In her career, she has 171 blocked shots. She is 10 shy of cracking the top 3 for career blocks at MSU.
• Carter has two games this season with six blocked shots. Her six blocked shots in a game tie for the 15th most in a single game this season.
• She has recorded 116 defensive rebounds this season and is averaging 5.9 per game, the best mark on the team.
• Carter has also recorded 14 steals and 30 assists on the year.
• Carter is perfect in the jump ball circle this season, going 20-for-20 in the circle.

Nation's Best Point Guard
• Hayes is tied for second in the SEC in total assists (96), and she leads the league assists per game (5.1).
• Hayes' 11 assists at Tennessee are the second-most in a single game this season by an SEC player.
• She has recorded at least five assists in 10 of 19 games this season. She also has two double-digit assist games, tied for the most in the SEC.
• Her 96 assists are already 19 more than last season and just 33 shy of setting a career-high. Her previous career-best mark was 128 in 2020-21.

Most Wins By A First Year Head Coach at MSU
Head Coach Sam Purcell earned his 15th career win on Sunday. 15 is the record held by Novak. He is one win shy of having the most wins by a head coach in their first season at MSU. No coach has had a winning SEC record in year one.

Mississippi State Notables
• The Bulldogs have recorded 10+ assists in 17 straight games and 19 of 20 games this season. It's tied for the longest streak since at least the 2007-07 season. • State has forced their opponents to turn the ball over at least 15 times in 15 games this season. MSU is 12-3 in games where they force at least 15 turnovers. • In the last two games, vs. Auburn and Kentucky, the Bulldogs have shot 73% from the foul line (38-52). Leading the charge has been Anastasia Hayes, who was 9-for-10. Jessika Carter shot 69% (9-for-13) and was perfect in the fourth quarter against Auburn (4-for-4).

Get-To-Know Ole Miss
• Ole Miss enters Thursday with a 5-2 record in the SEC. They have lost their last two contest, a home game against Alabama (66-58) and a road game at Auburn (77-76 in overtime).
• The Rebels are averaging 71 points per game contest while allowing just 53. In the first meeting, State held OM to just 61 points but scored just 50.
• Ole Miss is led by Angle Baker, averaging a team-high 15.2 ppg. Baker recorded a double-double in the first meeting with 22 points and 10 rebounds. She was 3-for-5 from three and 9-of-17 from the floor.
• In SEC play, Baker is averaging 17.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. She is shooting an SEC-best 48% from three (11-for-23) and 49% from the floor (50-for-101).

Up Next
On Sunday, MSU will travel to Athens, Ga., for a 1 p.m. CT contest against Georgia. Mississippi State's next home game will be Monday, Feb. 6, against Tennessee at 6 p.m.

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."

– HailState.com –

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Players Mentioned

Jessika Carter

Anastasia Hayes

Mississippi State University Athletics