Lady Bulldogs Open Play At SEC Tournament Friday
STARKVILLE, Miss. - With a program best third-seed in this week's SEC Tournament, the Mississippi State women's basketball team received a bye in Thursday's first round and will open play Friday against the winner of Georgia and Alabama. Game time Friday is set for 8 p.m. CT from the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, Ga. Friday's game will be televised by Fox Sports Net.
Mississippi State enters Friday's contest, having finished the regular season with an 18-11 overall record, 9-7 in league play. All-SEC selection and All-American candidate Alexis Rack continues to pace the Lady Bulldogs, scoring 17.7 points a game, third-best in the SEC. Four other Lady Bulldogs are scoring in double figures including Armelie Lumanu (12.1 ppg), Tysheka Grimes (11.3 ppg) Mary Kathryn Govero (11.1 ppg) and Chanel Mokango (10.7 ppg).
Offensively, State ranks fourth in scoring, averaging 70.6 points a game. State ranks fifth in scoring defense (59.8 ppg) and fifth in field goal pct. defense (38.2 pct.). MSU ranks fourth in scoring margin, winning by an average of 10.8 points a game. The Lady Bulldogs rank second in the league in threes made a game with 7.0 and are second in the league in offensive rebounds, pulling down 15.5 a game.
Lumanu, recently named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, paces MSU in steals with 73 and leads State in rebounding, averaging 7.2. Mokango, who joined Lumanu on the All-SEC Defensive Team, ranks second in the SEC in blocks with 67 this season while pulling down 7.0 rebounds a contest.
In 30 previous trips to the SEC Tournament, Mississippi State has an all-time record of 12-30. The #3 Seed by State is its highest ever in the tournament. The Lady Bulldogs tied for 3rd in 2003 but were the #4 seed. State's best run in the tournament came in 2000 when they reached the finals before falling to Tennessee 70-67. Last season at the tournament in North Little Rock, Ark., State fell in the second round to LSU after defeating South Carolina in the opening round. In the only previous tournament held in Duluth in 2007, the Lady Bulldogs fell to Florida in the opening round.
Mississippi State enters Friday's contest, having finished the regular season with an 18-11 overall record, 9-7 in league play. All-SEC selection and All-American candidate Alexis Rack continues to pace the Lady Bulldogs, scoring 17.7 points a game, third-best in the SEC. Four other Lady Bulldogs are scoring in double figures including Armelie Lumanu (12.1 ppg), Tysheka Grimes (11.3 ppg) Mary Kathryn Govero (11.1 ppg) and Chanel Mokango (10.7 ppg).
Offensively, State ranks fourth in scoring, averaging 70.6 points a game. State ranks fifth in scoring defense (59.8 ppg) and fifth in field goal pct. defense (38.2 pct.). MSU ranks fourth in scoring margin, winning by an average of 10.8 points a game. The Lady Bulldogs rank second in the league in threes made a game with 7.0 and are second in the league in offensive rebounds, pulling down 15.5 a game.
Lumanu, recently named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, paces MSU in steals with 73 and leads State in rebounding, averaging 7.2. Mokango, who joined Lumanu on the All-SEC Defensive Team, ranks second in the SEC in blocks with 67 this season while pulling down 7.0 rebounds a contest.
In 30 previous trips to the SEC Tournament, Mississippi State has an all-time record of 12-30. The #3 Seed by State is its highest ever in the tournament. The Lady Bulldogs tied for 3rd in 2003 but were the #4 seed. State's best run in the tournament came in 2000 when they reached the finals before falling to Tennessee 70-67. Last season at the tournament in North Little Rock, Ark., State fell in the second round to LSU after defeating South Carolina in the opening round. In the only previous tournament held in Duluth in 2007, the Lady Bulldogs fell to Florida in the opening round.