Women's Basketball Closes Out Home Slate With Mississippi, Host "Maroon Out The Hump" On Sunday Afternoon
As the final home game of the season, the MState staff will also honor senior manager Justin Smith for his dedication to the program over the last three years.
Ole Miss leads the all-time series with Mississippi State but MSU has won three out of the last four, including last season's 70-59 upset in Oxford and this season's shocking 73-71 buzzer beater victory. Since Sharon Fanning's arrival, the Lady Bulldogs have defeated UM 13 times compared to the Lady Rebels' 11 wins. In that span, MState is 6-5 in Starkville.
With her seven rebounds on Thursday evening in a 64-84 loss to Vanderbilt, freshman guard Alexis Rack tied her season high for the second time this season. Rack previously brought down seven boards against Ole Miss on Jan. 28. Sophomore forward Lauren Roberts shot 8-of-10 from the charity stripe to net career highs in both categories. Roberts finished the game with 10 points, two shy of her season-high 12 set last week against Savannah State.
MSU currently ranks in the top half of the SEC in several statistical categories. In league games only, the Lady Bulldogs are second in three-point field goal percentage (.344) and three-point field goals made (6.73), fourth free-throw percentage (.725) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.288). The ladies rank fourth in steals (9.09), fifth in scoring offense (69.0), offensive rebounds (14.09) and are sixth defensive rebounds (24.64). Individually in SEC games only, Richard is 10th in scoring (14.3), sixth in field goal percentage (.542) and third in steals (2.64), while Rack is second in three-point field goals made (2.45) and freshman forward Bethany Washington is 10th in rebounding (7.2).
Overall, MSU is third in three-point field goal percentage defense (.296), fourth in three-point field goals made (5.69) and fifth in offensive rebounds (15.19). Individually in overall games, Richard is fourth in steals (2.42).Ole Miss enters Sunday's game 19-8 on the year and 8-4 in league play. The Lady Rebels are led by senior guard Armintie Price, who leads the team in scoring (18.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rbg).
In their previous contest, UM fell to third-ranked Tennessee, 69-81, on Thursday evening in Knoxville. In their last five contests, the Lady Rebels are 3-2, including a double overtime win at Arkansas on Feb. 4.
MSU faced #22 Ole Miss on Jan. 28 in Oxford. After leading by four and the half and by as much as 18, the Lady Rebels fought back to take a66-61 lead with 2:35 to go. MSU scored the next six points for a 67-66 lead. Two free throws by Alexis Rack gave MSU a 71-68 lead with 14 seconds to go. Five seconds later, Lady Rebel Ashley Awkward, who led UM with 19 points, nailed a three-pointer to knot the contest at 71-71. Then came Marneshia Richard's game-winner as the clock expired to give MSU a 73-71 win.
MState hits the road for the final two conference games of the season, traveling to Alabama for a 6 p.m. televised contest with the Crimson Tide on Feb. 22 and then facing South Carolina in Columbia on Feb. 25.
The 2007 Southeastern Conference Women's Basketball Tournament is slated for March 1-4 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga.