Women's Hoops Hosts Kentucky Sunday On Senior Day
* Game Notes (PDF)
* Updated Player Bios (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs (6-18, 1-10 SEC) will honor their four seniors in a pre-game ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 19 when they host Kentucky (18-6, 7-4 SEC) at 2 p.m. in Humphrey Coliseum. State will honor Lady Bulldogs seniors Blessing Chekwa, Chalandra Hilliard, Mamie McKinney and Doceide Warren, as well as head student manager Jason Russum, who will be playing in their last home game for the Maroon and White.
State dropped its ninth straight game this past Sunday to Alabama, 61-59. This marked the fourth league game that MSU lost in the last five minutes of play. Despite MSU leading the entire game, Alabama came back to tie the game three times before taking a two-point lead at the 1:50 mark of the second half for the eventual win. This is State's worst losing streak since the 1994-95 season when MSU lost nine conference games in a row from Jan. 14 - March 3, 1995. Senior forward Mamie McKinney, freshman forward Lauren Roberts and senior guard Doceide Warren scored 12 points apiece. Warren's 12 points were a season-high, while Roberts tallied a double-digit scoring total for only the third time this season.
MSU leads the overall series with Kentucky, 15-14. State has won the last five straight meetings and the last five encounters in Starkville, including the 71-55 win Feb. 20, 2005 in Lexington, Ky. Most recently the Lady Bulldogs have won 10 out of the last 11 games vs. the Wildcats.
Kentucky has won the last three conference games, two by narrow margins. The Wildcats most recently defeated Ole Miss (65-61), Arkansas (79-50) and South Carolina (75-71). UK boasts a 4-1 road SEC record this season. Four Wildcats are averaging double digit points: sophomore guard Samantha Mahoney is leading the pack with 11.7 ppg, followed by junior guard Jenny Pfeiffer with 11.0 ppg, sophomore center Sarah Elliott with 10.4 ppg and freshman point guard Carly Ormerod with 10.1 ppg.
All Junior Bulldog Club members are invited to a post-game autograph session and pizza party with the Lady Bulldogs after the Kentucky game. As always, JBC members are admitted FREE to all MSU Women's Basketball games.
State will conclude the 2005-06 regular season with two road games at South Carolina on Feb. 23 and at LSU on Feb. 26 before the 2006 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament commences March 2 in North Little Rock, Ark.