Coming off a 15-point loss at the hands of the South Carolina Lady Gamecocks, the Mississippi State University women’s basketball team rebounded with two impressive wins over Mississippi and Georgia this week. LaToya Thomas rose above Georgia Sunday to score 43 points as Mississippi State University held off the eighth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs at home in a 84-82 shootout. The win over Georgia capped a three game homestand that included a 25-point win over Mississippi. Thomas’ play against Ole Miss and Georgia where she averaged 31.5 points was recognized as she received SEC Player of the Week honors.
Thomas scored 26 points in the second half as Mississippi State weathered the late comeback by Georgia, giving the MSU Lady Bulldogs their best conference start in school history at 3-1. The loss drops Georgia to 1-2 in the conference.
Coach Sharon Fanning was pleased with the win as many players contributed in making this one of the biggest wins of the season.
“This was the most aggressive and intense mindset that we’ve had all year,” Fanning said. “We were pretty focused throughout the game and weathered their runs.”
Thomas credits the win to the team coming together communicating and moving their feet on defense more. Fanning said getting the ball to Thomas down the stretch was big for the team.
“The team wanted to get LaToya the basketball,” she said. “She found the seams. Confidence-wise she was very excited before the basketball game. I am pleased not only at her effort but the overall team’s effort, as well.”
Along with Thomas’ 17 points, Tan White managed nine rebounds and four assists as she played all 40 minutes. Jennifer Fambrough added 16 points in the win and she said good team defense and the team’s focus were big keys to the win. Fanning commended Fambrough’s play as being a big mental lift for the team.
“This was one of Jen’s best games. She was really focused out there and other than when she fouled out, didn’t come out of the game,” Fanning said. “She must have taken some iron pills before the game. I don’t know how many charges she took, but that will probably end up being the difference in the basketball game.”
The loss will drop Georgia further down in the polls while Mississippi State hopes to get in the top 25. It was Georgia’s first loss since 1992 where they failed to win scoring 81 points or more. Georgia lost at twentieth ranked Alabama 105-81. Georgia is a young team with three freshmen starters and four upperclassmen total on the team.
Thursday against Mississippi, Tan White was three assists shy of a triple-double leading Mississippi State in five statistical categories as the Lady Bulldogs won their second SEC contest of the year, beating Mississippi 82-57.
White had 25 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks as she recorded her fifth double-double of the year.
Thomas also had a double-double as she chipped in with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the rout of the Ole Miss Lady Rebels.
The Lady Bulldogs came into the game after a home loss to South Carolina their last outing, 79-64. They were looking to bounce back and they did it in a major way. White got in early foul trouble in the first half, but when she was on the floor she sparked the team as they rallied around her. Fanning was very pleased with the team’s performance on the night.
The Lady Bulldog defense smothered Ole Miss as they forced them into bad shots all night long. The Lady Rebels shot 28 percent from the floor. Leading scorer Ally Kelly was held in check, scoring eight points on two of six shooting. Sophomore guard Jessica Carter made her first start of her career and scored 11 points. She defended Kelly most of the night.
“We just wanted to come out and play hard defensively,” Carter said. “After the South Carolina game, we had good practices, and we worked hard and aggressive.”
Fanning praised Carter for her work in the game saying she is one of the smartest on the team.
“She knows what to do with the basketball. She works hard on defense and she closes out and contests shots,” Fanning said.
Jennifer Fambrough added 11 points for Mississippi State while freshman Amber Watts and senior Sherika Wright had nine each for Ole Miss. Watts also had six rebounds and two blocked shots.
Mississippi State travels to Auburn who is 13-3, 1-2 SEC as they are coming off their first SEC win on the year at Kentucky Tip-off at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum is set for 2 p.m. The Lady Bulldogs return home on Jan. 24 for a game against the struggling Arkansas Lady Razorbacks. Tip-off at Humphrey Coliseum is at 7 p.m. State will close out their January schedule with rematches against Ole Miss in Oxford on Jan. 27 and Georgia on Jan. 31.