Hustle and Heart
January 31, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Freshman Mjracle Sheppard keeps shining for State.
STARKVILLE – It's tough to tame a Tiger, especially when the said Tiger is a defending national champion women's basketball program.
Yet, that's exactly what one of the youngest players on the hardwood did in Mississippi State's 77-73 victory over No. 9-ranked LSU on Monday night. Freshman Mjracle Sheppard did just about everything against one of the toughest teams in the sport. She snagged offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive, got key baskets and used her quick hands to grab steals.
Head coach Sam Purcell, who was all smiles following the huge win, aptly described the rising star.
"Mjracle is a miracle," Purcell said. "She's my miracle, and [Monday night] she was a miracle."
The second-year coach continued his praise.
"The kid is a freshman [and] you could never tell," Purcell said. "She [doesn't] play like one, she's just relentless."
The young guard made big buckets when necessary, scoring 12 points on 66.7 percent shooting. Sheppard also added four rebounds, five assists and six steals, making her just the second freshman to record those numbers against an SEC opponent since the 2009-10 season. She was also named the SEC Freshman of the Week in response to her massive game.
Sheppard's stats were impressive, but the biggest difference-maker for the Bulldogs was her overall efficiency on defense. It's a skill that she prides herself on, and it's paid off big time.
"I always say, 'Defense wins games,'" Sheppard said. "It just starts on defense, and that's what we had to do. From the start of the game, we needed to work on defense and that's what we did."
One of Sheppard's specialties is her ability to battle for the basketball. Whether it's by diving onto the floor to secure a loose ball or tapping it out of an unsuspecting guard's hands, she's always going to give it her all to put the Dawgs in the best possible position to score.
"It's just hustle and heart," Sheppard said. "Just being able to have those 50-50 balls for my teammates, because I know they've always got my back, so I'm [going to] have theirs at the end of the day."
Starkville is a long drive from where Sheppard played high school hoops: Montverde Academy in Florida. That's not to even mention her hometown of Kent, Washington, which is even farther away. Nevertheless, Purcell knew that he wanted to make the Magnolia State Sheppard's new home following one particular trip to watch her perform.
"I fell in love with that kid when I watched her play defense on one of the best players in the country," Purcell said.
Perhaps that was a bit of foreshadowing of just what the 5-foot-10 defender would do for Purcell's squad. Sure, some adjustments have been made over the past few months as Sheppard has adjusted to the collegiate level, but she's handled the change well and has had a powerful group in her corner to help her continue to thrive.
"It's a little bit faster, but I'm adapting," Sheppard said. "It's just exciting to see my teammates push me in practice and just grow from there."
Victory is sweet, but the job is nowhere near done for Sheppard and the Bulldogs. There are still plenty of SEC games left on the schedule and a big dance to aim for in the near future. The team knows what the goal is, and Sheppard is going to help lead the way.
"We're just going to keep doing what we're doing in practice and just keep our same energy and intensity because that's been working for us and it's been making us better," Sheppard said.
Sheppard knows that Mississippi State can get there once again, as her coach shared.
"She believes in herself, but most importantly, she believes in her team," Purcell said.
