Focused, Fearless And Full Of Fight
January 10, 2025 | Women's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Win over No. 10 Oklahoma shows what MSU is made of.
STARKVILLE – It's easy to jump to conclusions.
So, after Mississippi State dropped a pair of games to Top-16 opponents to begin Southeastern Conference play earlier this month, it'd have surely been tempting for outside observers to look at the Bulldogs with concern.
Can MSU go punch for punch and win rounds in this new-look, tougher-than-ever-before SEC? Will the Dawgs be able to bounce back?
On a cold, wintry night in Starkville, MSU responded with a resounding, 'Heck yes we can', topped off with a big old, 'Hail State.'
The Bulldogs knocked off No. 10 Oklahoma 81-77 at the Humphrey Coliseum Thursday evening in a win that reminded everyone that this State team is focused, fearless and full of fight.
Yes, the Dawgs came in having taken a couple of bumps, but this team wasn't hindered by its hurt. It was instead shaped by its scars. Everything the Bulldogs have been through has seemingly made them better and hungrier than ever.
"The first three opponents out of the gate, [our schedule] brought the smoke," MSU head coach Sam Purcell said. "If we're going to sit here and cry, point fingers and not focus, then what are we doing? I thought [Thursday night] we played for each other and that's why we got the job done."
Maybe some outsiders were caught off guard by State's success against the Sooners, but don't call it an upset. Already this season, the Bulldogs have excelled against good competition and Thursday was a continuation of those past accomplishments.
Previously, MSU defeated a currently-ranked Utah squad, triumphed over a South Florida team that boasts a victory over now-No. 14 Duke and won against a Belmont group that lost by just four points to presently-No. 9 Ohio State. The Dawgs also were in control with a double-digit lead through a quarter and a half over No. 2 South Carolina before a Gamecock surge turned the tide in that contest.
In a way, the South Carolina loss – painful as it was – gave the Bulldogs just the lesson they needed to take another step forward and top Oklahoma. It exemplified State has the fortitude to endure any trials and tribulations that come its way.
"[We've] shown glimpses of how special we can be," Purcell said. "[Thursday], we were either going to continue to have the same story or we were going to learn [from our past]. And you're going to come out and play for not one, not two, but play for four quarters."
MSU did precisely that to enter the next phase of its growth. Growing is always a process after all and Thursday illustrated how State appears to be leveling up game by game as this season goes.
Keep in mind, these Bulldogs were built for the long haul. Every team wants to be playing its best basketball in March and State has been constructed in such a way that it'll surely get stronger as the campaign progresses.
A team that brought back only Jerkaila Jordan, Debreasha Powe and Quanirah Montague from last season's squad and combined that trio with a multitude of incredibly talented standouts is continually jelling. More time, more familiarity and more reps naturally build more chemistry and cohesiveness.
Plus, they're all mentally strong, forged by intense offseason training that included a little of everything from running stadium steps to pushing a four-wheel drive Ford F-150 uphill.
"We're tough as nails," Jordan explained. "We want to be. I have all my faith in this team. We could have easily dwelled on our first loss or our second loss, but we didn't. We left those games behind. We learned from them. We came out tougher."
A growing, maturing, learning, improving Mississippi State team is bad news for the remaining teams on MSU's schedule. This is a Bulldog group that already currently stands as a projected No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament per ESPN.
And Thursday demonstrated how the best for the Bulldogs may very well be yet to come.
"We're writing our own story," Denim DeShields said. "Everybody's journey is different.
"Our journey is what it is for a reason. And just us being able to build on top of each game is what's the most important for us."
