Lady Bulldogs Close Out Regular Season At Alabama Sunday
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State women's basketball team will close out its 2008-09 regular season schedule Sunday as they travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tip time is set for 2 p.m. CT at UA's Coleman Coliseum.
The Lady Bulldogs (20-8, 7-6 SEC) have closed in on its first 20-win season since the 2002-03 season. State will also be looking for its first winning mark in Southeastern Conference play since that same season. Mississippi State currently ranks as the league's second best scoring defense and field goal percentage defense. State ranks fifth in the SEC in scoring offense and ranks fourth in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 32.6 percent.
Junior Alexis Rack continues to lead MSU in scoring and ranks fifth in the SEC, averaging 14.5 points a game. Rack leads the Southeastern Conference in three-point field goals a game and has scored in double figures in nine consecutive games. The Franklin, La.-native also ranks fifth in the SEC in assists, dishing out 4.4 a game. Junior Armelie Lumanu is scoring 11.3 points a game, is second on the team in rebounding, second in assists and leads State with 65 steals this season.
Alabama enters Sunday's contest 13-15 overall and 1-12 in SEC play. Head coach Wendell Hudson is in his first season at his alma mater but in his 13th season overall as a head coach. UA is led on the court by sophomore Tierney Jenkins who is averaging 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds a game.
Alabama leads the all time series 33-10 but Mississippi State has won the last two and three of the last five meetings. Last season in Starkville, MSU defeated the Crimson Tide 79-59.
Following Sunday's game, Mississippi State will prepare for the first round of the SEC Tournament which begins Thursday at the Alltel Arena in North Little Rock, Ark.