It was business as usual for No. 6 Mississippi State University women’s basketball as they ran away with their Sunday afternoon match-up against the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
The Bulldogs improve to 9-0 on the season with the 86-48 win while the Trojans fall to 3-6 on the season. The Bulldogs dominated from start to finish, opening the game with a 7-0 lead and out scoring the Trojans in the second half 43-20.
“I am really proud of our second half, I thought our third quarter was special,” MSU head coach Vic Schaefer said. “That is a good basketball team (Little Rock), they beat Oklahoma by double digits.”
It was Itty Bitty Day in honor of MSU senior guard Morgan William and anyone who was shorter than the five foot five inch William got into the game free. On the day in her honor, she was the leading scorer of the game with 16 points. William went 5-9 from the floor and had four assists in 28 minutes of play.
William, from Birmingham, Alabama, said uppint her aggressiveness was part of the reason she scored her season high.
“If I knock down shots everyone else will be open,” William said. “In the first couple games I was content with passing the ball and teams stopped guarding me, so I need to look for my shot. When they leave me open I have to knock down shots.”
William spent some time in Humphrey Coliseum in a different way earlier in the week when she walked across the stage and graduated. She talked about her excitement about walking and graduating a semester early.
“It was a great feeling, I made sure I did not fall because people kept saying ‘don’t fall in heels Mo’,” William said. “I mean graduating is what it is all about, coming to college coach Schaefer said I could do and I could do it a semester early.”
Joining William in leading MSU to victory were the double-doubles from guard Victoria Vivians, who scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of play, and Teaira McCowan, who scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 16 minutes of play.
Jordan Danberry played for the first time in the game against Little Rock. Danberry transferred to MSU from the University of Arkansas last December and just became eligible. She scored two points and grabbed one rebound in 13 minutes of play.
Schaefer said he expects her to be a stalwart perimeter defensive player for MSU and is excited to have her.
“We are really excited to have her,” Schaefer said. “She was a little bit of a bull in a china cabinet today because she is just so excited to be out there. She is going to really help us and bring a lot to the table. How many times on December 10th do you get to add a 5-star, two time Gatorade Player of the Year to your roster, that is ready to go. We are really really excited about her.”
The Bulldogs will move on to their next challenge in No. 9 University of Oregon (8-1). The Duck’s one loss is to No. 4 University of Louisville and they have a double digit win over No. 21 Texas A&M University and a 60 point win over University of Southern Mississippi, a team MSU beat 91-56 a few weeks prior.
“We are going to find out how good we are,” Schaefer said about the game.
Tip off for MSU’s game against Oregon is set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday. The game is in Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville and the SEC Network will broadcast the game.
