Jordan’s Big February Lifting Bulldogs
February 21, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Junior guard has had a tremendous month.
STARKVILLE – JerKaila Jordan's performance throughout the month of February has been unmatched by nearly any other women's basketball player in the Southeastern Conference, and the team's Senior Night victory over Alabama proved just that.
The junior guard had a spectacular performance in the Bulldogs' 60-45 win, leading the team on defense with four steals and three blocks. At just 5-foot-9, Jordan has cemented herself as the only player in the conference with at least 10 steals and five blocks in February, now totaling 13 steals and seven blocks with two more games left to go.
Jordan's big plays on offense proved to be just as important to her team as her defense en route to a landslide victory. She netted 24 points to tie her season high while shooting 67 percent from the floor, including 4-of-6 from behind the three-point line. Nine of those points came in the first quarter.
With all of these incredible numbers, Jordan is now the only player in the SEC to lead her team in not one, not two, but six major categories in February. Aside from blocked shots and steals, her 16.6 points per game and seven rebounds in each contest are the best among MSU student-athletes. Jordan is shooting a whopping 55 percent from the field, and as if that number isn't high enough, she is also making 61 percent of the three-point shots that she takes.
Head coach Sam Purcell has always seen what Jordan brings to the table and her ability to be reliable no matter where she is on the court. Luckily for the Bulldogs, she's heating up in all areas of her game when it matters most.
"She's just playing her best basketball at the right time of the year," head coach Sam Purcell said. "She's just got a look."
Jordan's numbers are a notable part of what has pushed the team to success over the last few weeks. Despite navigating a few games without key players and battling through some intense contests, the Bulldogs have gone 4-1 this month and now sit in sixth place in the SEC.
The latest win over a highly-praised Alabama squad couldn't have come at a better time for Mississippi State. The team is looking to make a push into the NCAA Tournament, and on an evening that was full of festivities, it meant everything to Jordan and her teammates.
"It's special, not only because it's Senior Night, but it's a win that we really needed," Jordan said. "We needed to bounce back, we needed to make a statement win and I think we did that tonight."
Purcell added that there was a different side of Jordan that was shown during the game; one that her coaches don't typically see.
"She's not a kid who talks out loud, she's not a kid who gets emotional," Purcell said. "For her to show some emotion and have that look, I think it just uplifted our team and I know it uplifted our coaching staff."
Mississippi State will have to face Arkansas and a Top-10 LSU program before heading into the SEC Tournament. These next few games are crucial for the Bulldogs, but with Jordan leading the charge, the opportunity to go to the Big Dance is in front of them.
"We're not going to look too far ahead," Jordan said. "This is just one win closer to the tournament. We're going to keep the goal the same."
