Sunday, January 8
Starkville
12:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
South Carolina
WBK Preview: vs No. 1 South Carolina
January 07, 2023 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State women's basketball squad is back home on Sunday when they host the top-ranked Gamecocks of South Carolina. Tip-off against South Carolina is set for 12 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN 2.
GAME INFORMATION
Mississippi State (12-4, 1-2 SEC) vs. No. 1/1 South Carolina (15-0, 3-0 SEC)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023 // Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Starkville, Miss. (Humphrey Coliseum)
Watch: ESPN 2 (Talent: Brenda VanLengen & Holly Warlick)
Listen: MSU Radio Network (Play-By-Play: Jason Crowder)
Numbers To Know
86 • Anastasia Hayes currently leads the SEC in total assists with 86 and assists per game at 5 38 per contest. In just SEC games, she also leads the conference with 21 total assists and 7 0 assists per game.
21 • Debreasha Powe had a career game at Tennessee on Thursday. The true freshman scored a career-high 21 points, her first 20-point game, while also setting a career mark in made triples (6) and assists (4).
4 • Jessika Carter has been on another level in the last 4 games. She has scored 20+ points in 3 of those games, the best stretch of her career. She is also averaging 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks during that stretch.
16th • When Mississippi State & South Carolina meet on Sunday, it will be the 16th time in program history that MSU has played the No. 1 team in the country. It's also the second straight meeting, 3rd time in the last 4 years, that South Carolina has been ranked No. 1 when the two teams play.
Series History
• South Carolina leads the all-time series, 25-19.
• When the game is played in Starkville, MSU leads 11-7
SEC Assist Leader
• Anastasia Hayes leads the SEC in total assists (86) and assists per game (5.38).
• Annie is one of only two players with at least 80 assists in the SEC this season and one of only 3 averaging at least 5.0 assists.
• She also leads the SEC in total assists (21) and assists per game (7.0) in SEC-only games.
Debreasha Powe Is Electric
• Debreasha Powe continues to impress as a true freshman.
• Against Tennessee, Powe scored a career-high 21 points, the first 20-point game of her career.
• Powe also set career-highs in made three's (6) and assists (4).
• Powe is second on the team in scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg)
Bulldog Takeaways
• This will be the second straight year South Carolina has been ranked No. 1 when the two teams have met. It's also the third time in the last four years.
• State averages 75.9 points per game while allowing 52.7 to their opponents. MSU's 23.2 average margin of victory this season is the most since the 2018-19 season when they defeated teams by an average of 28.0 ppg.
Get-To-Know South Carolina
• South Carolina enters Sunday's contest with a perfect 15-0 record, including a 5-0 record on the road.
• South Carolina is on a 21-game winning streak dating back to March 18, 2022, the start of the NCAA Tournament.
• The Gamecocks are averaging 82.4 points per game while allowing just 43.5.
• Zia Cooke leads SC, averaging 14.9 points per game. She also has 32 assists, and 17 steals on the year.
• Aliyah Boston, the reigning NCAA Player of the Year, is averaging 11.5 points and 8.9 rebounds.
2023 Signing Class
• The early signing period ended on Wednesday, with Mississippi State signing four players for the 2023-24 season. The class was ranked as high as 16th nationally following the signing of Quanirah Cherry-Montague but should climb with the addition of junior college star Meloney Thames.
• Quanirah Cherry-Montague (Atlantic City, N.J.) – rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 48 player in the nation
• Jasmine Brown (Joliet, Ill.) – rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 54 player in the nation
• Mjracel Sheppard (Bellevue, Wash.) – rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 86 player in the nation
• Meloney Thames (Choctaw, Miss.) – Junior College All-American, Second in the nation in scoring (26.3 ppg)
Up Next
The Bulldogs will be off until next Sunday, Jan. 15, when they travel to Bryan-College Station, Texas, to take on Texas A&M. The Bulldogs and Aggies will tip-off at 2 p.m. CT.
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."
GAME INFORMATION
Mississippi State (12-4, 1-2 SEC) vs. No. 1/1 South Carolina (15-0, 3-0 SEC)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023 // Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Starkville, Miss. (Humphrey Coliseum)
Watch: ESPN 2 (Talent: Brenda VanLengen & Holly Warlick)
Listen: MSU Radio Network (Play-By-Play: Jason Crowder)
Numbers To Know
86 • Anastasia Hayes currently leads the SEC in total assists with 86 and assists per game at 5 38 per contest. In just SEC games, she also leads the conference with 21 total assists and 7 0 assists per game.
21 • Debreasha Powe had a career game at Tennessee on Thursday. The true freshman scored a career-high 21 points, her first 20-point game, while also setting a career mark in made triples (6) and assists (4).
4 • Jessika Carter has been on another level in the last 4 games. She has scored 20+ points in 3 of those games, the best stretch of her career. She is also averaging 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks during that stretch.
16th • When Mississippi State & South Carolina meet on Sunday, it will be the 16th time in program history that MSU has played the No. 1 team in the country. It's also the second straight meeting, 3rd time in the last 4 years, that South Carolina has been ranked No. 1 when the two teams play.
Series History
• South Carolina leads the all-time series, 25-19.
• When the game is played in Starkville, MSU leads 11-7
SEC Assist Leader
• Anastasia Hayes leads the SEC in total assists (86) and assists per game (5.38).
• Annie is one of only two players with at least 80 assists in the SEC this season and one of only 3 averaging at least 5.0 assists.
• She also leads the SEC in total assists (21) and assists per game (7.0) in SEC-only games.
Debreasha Powe Is Electric
• Debreasha Powe continues to impress as a true freshman.
• Against Tennessee, Powe scored a career-high 21 points, the first 20-point game of her career.
• Powe also set career-highs in made three's (6) and assists (4).
• Powe is second on the team in scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg)
Bulldog Takeaways
• This will be the second straight year South Carolina has been ranked No. 1 when the two teams have met. It's also the third time in the last four years.
• State averages 75.9 points per game while allowing 52.7 to their opponents. MSU's 23.2 average margin of victory this season is the most since the 2018-19 season when they defeated teams by an average of 28.0 ppg.
Get-To-Know South Carolina
• South Carolina enters Sunday's contest with a perfect 15-0 record, including a 5-0 record on the road.
• South Carolina is on a 21-game winning streak dating back to March 18, 2022, the start of the NCAA Tournament.
• The Gamecocks are averaging 82.4 points per game while allowing just 43.5.
• Zia Cooke leads SC, averaging 14.9 points per game. She also has 32 assists, and 17 steals on the year.
• Aliyah Boston, the reigning NCAA Player of the Year, is averaging 11.5 points and 8.9 rebounds.
2023 Signing Class
• The early signing period ended on Wednesday, with Mississippi State signing four players for the 2023-24 season. The class was ranked as high as 16th nationally following the signing of Quanirah Cherry-Montague but should climb with the addition of junior college star Meloney Thames.
• Quanirah Cherry-Montague (Atlantic City, N.J.) – rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 48 player in the nation
• Jasmine Brown (Joliet, Ill.) – rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 54 player in the nation
• Mjracel Sheppard (Bellevue, Wash.) – rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 86 player in the nation
• Meloney Thames (Choctaw, Miss.) – Junior College All-American, Second in the nation in scoring (26.3 ppg)
Up Next
The Bulldogs will be off until next Sunday, Jan. 15, when they travel to Bryan-College Station, Texas, to take on Texas A&M. The Bulldogs and Aggies will tip-off at 2 p.m. CT.
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 –
Players Mentioned
F/C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
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