Led by junior college transfers Armelie Lumanu and Chanel Mokango, the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs won an exhibition game against the Peach State Elite 85-75 Thursday at Humphrey Coliseum.
“I saw some bright spots, but I am disappointed in the consistency,” MSU head coach Sharon Fanning said. “All of a sudden, our focus wasn’t where it needed to be and I felt that we just played poorly that first half in terms of intensity. Our maturity will be a big key factor relative to our success this year.”
The Lady Bulldogs went into halftime tied 30-30 before going on a 13-1 run early in the second half to pull away.
“We can’t start off any game like that,” junior guard Alexis Rack said. “We just had a bad first half, but in the second half, we picked it up. We will take things we did wrong and improve.”
Mokango hit all seven of her shots from the field, including a three-pointer. She finished the night as the Lady Bulldogs’ top scorer with 16 points and also added four blocks. Fanning thought Mokango could be even better, as she had four fouls and only six rebounds.
“I think that learning the new system makes it a learning process every day when it comes to consistency. Chanel has got to know that she has some length,” Fanning said. “She needs to realize that footwork and positioning are going to be really important to her. Anyone that was seven for seven and grabbed some rebounds you would like to have in position to help you and not getting called for fouls.”
Lumanu scored 15 points for the Lady Bulldogs and had eight rebounds and seven assists.
“When it comes to Armelie, you can obviously see that she has a lot of athleticism and how well she can get the ball to the rim. She rebounds and she can push the ball but she needs to be smart when it comes to weak-side help,” Fanning said. “[Mokango and Lumanu] definitely make a big difference for us in terms of athleticism and abilities. Hopefully they can get through these first few games and be a little bit smarter.”
Senior Donnisha Tate said she sees the new players as a big addition to the team.
“I think we are still just trying to learn each other, but I really like what they bring to the team,” Tate said. “Once we get out there, we just have to be more focused and play together.”
Tate had a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Rack added nine points, and sophomore Mary Kathryn Govero had eight points. Off the bench, junior Tysheka Grimes scored 11 points.
The Peach State Elite is an exhibition team led by Brandon Clay and consists of former college players. Before playing the Lady Bulldogs, they played competitive games against Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina and Georgia Tech, and won at Virginia Tech.
Alisha Tatham, a former Massachusetts player, led the Elite with 24 points and eight rebounds. Former Tulane star Nikki Luckhurst added 14 points.
“I thought the whole game was inconsistent compared to how hard we have to work. It is a starting point for us in terms of a dress rehearsal and the real thing starts Tuesday,” Fanning said.
The Lady Bulldogs open their regular season at Humphrey Coliseum tonight at 7 p.m. against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Lady Lions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Lady Lions (1-0) defeated Texas-Pan American 65-53 Friday.
Last season, the Lady Lions finished 12-19 (9-9 SWAC). They return senior guard Arica Green who averaged 10.5 points per game last year, and senior forward Ciara Shields, who averaged 7.2 rebounds.