Mississippi State University left Columbia, S.C. on Sunday with a new season ahead of them-the postseason. After the 2-1 overtime thriller knocking off the Gamecocks, the Bulldogs clinched their first SEC Tournament in school history. Now there is more at stake Friday when they travel to take on the two-time Western Division Champion Rebels-the SEC West Championship and a No. 2 seed in the tournament. Mississippi State (11-7) enters Friday’s contest tied with Ole Miss and Auburn for first in the West with a 4-4 conference record. The Bulldogs are ranked ninth this week in the Central Region by the NSCAA, marking their first ranking since the ’96 season. Coach Neil McGuire said that the ranking will help the morale of the team and that they are still going to focus on one game at a time and one day at a time.
The scenario for the weekend holds a few knots. If Mississippi State wins and Auburn loses, the Bulldogs win the SEC West title outright. If both schools win, they will share the title, and the Bulldogs will be able to claim the No. 2 seed in the tournament due to the tiebreaker where they beat Auburn head-to-head. If the Bulldogs lose or tie, they will find themselves between a No. 6 and No. 8 seed heading in. McGuire said the team will be up to Friday’s challenge.
“Now with the added bonus of being for the West Division, I think it has just added another dash of tremendous excitement for us,” he said. “The team looks motivated and excited.”
Ole Miss (9-8-1) looks to win its third straight Western Division title against Mississippi State on Friday. They are reeling after losses to Florida and South Carolina on the weekend where they were shut out 6-0 and 1-0. They have lost three of four, and leading scorer Tiffany Weiss has not scored in four games. Weiss is questionable for Friday’s game after suffering a concussion last Friday against South Carolina. The Rebels’ defense has been strong, as they have accounted for a number of wins.
Last year, the teams played to a 0-0, double-overtime draw, where the game was physical and emotional. Ole Miss was 12-5 going into last year’s game when they tied the Bulldogs. This year looks to be more of the same as McGuire sees another tough game.
“Our girls last year were supposed to be competitive with Ole Miss, and we proved we were,” he said. “Our girls believe in themselves, and it’s going to be a battle.”
Freshman Morgan McDonald said that it is amazing how the team has come so far this year, and she looks forward to and expects a lot out of the game on Friday.
“I expect us to whoop them!” McDonald said with enthusiasm.
If things fall into place, Mississippi State could very well face the Rebels again in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
Mississippi State will host Memphis (5-12-1) as the last regular season game on Sunday at 1 p.m.