Jordan Reaches Another Career Milestone
December 15, 2023 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE - Mississippi State's Jerkaila Jordan added another note to her long list of accolades in Thursday's 82-72 victory over Jackson State.
The senior recorded her 1,000th point in the Maroon and White, becoming the 29th player in program history to do so. She finished the night with a double-double, recording 19 points and 12 rebounds as she made big plays on both ends of the court.
"Honestly, [I'm] just grateful to hit a thousand points, especially at a school like Mississippi State," Jordan said. "I wouldn't want to achieve that goal anywhere else."
Jordan was unaware of just exactly how close she was to hitting that milestone as a Bulldog. In fact, she needed the exact number of points she scored to meet the mark.
"Nobody warned me," Jordan said. "I got 19 points, so it was just a miracle."
Head coach Sam Purcell has praised Jordan all season long, relying on her for the passion she brings during the games and the way in which she leads her teammates. His 5-foot-9 guard has put together plenty of big performances through the years, so he was shocked that they hadn't added up to more points sooner.
"I'm surprised it took her this long to get a thousand," Purcell said. "I mean she's got that capability where she's able to go for 30 to 40 [points] every night."
Purcell added that Jordan's quick moves and aggressiveness have helped her become a standout player for MSU.
"She's moving, shaking, doing all kinds of stuff and [is] just an absolutely tough kid," Purcell said.
Jordan began her career at Tulane and was named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in 2021 before transferring to MSU. Almost a year ago – Dec. 21, 2022 to be exact – Jordan reached 1,000 points for her career against New Mexico while the Bulldogs were playing in the Sun Coast Challenge in Tampa, Florida.
Jordan's success hasn't come without plenty of hard work behind the scenes. The native of New Orleans explained some of the things that she has done for the past few months to become the best athlete that she can possibly be.
"Looking back at the season I had last year, going into the gym, realizing what I had to work on — my weaknesses — and just being more consistent and confident this year knowing that I am one of the leaders on the team," Jordan said.
Purcell was not shy about sharing his excitement for his young star, but the teammates who have been there through it all are arguably even more happy for her. Graduate center Jessika Carter has seen Jordan grow into a talented veteran and believes that she will continue to get even better with time.
"Honestly, it's 1,000 [points], but I feel like it's 2,000 in my head," Carter said. "She works so hard, and the things she's done this year, I feel like honestly she'll have at least almost 2,000 next year if she wants to."
Debreasha Powe, who scored a game-high 21 points against the Tigers, also complimented Jordan's determination.
"I'm just really proud of her because she does come in, she works," Powe said. "As you can see, she's just a great teammate. She's going to do it all."
