Sometimes playing in the most dominant league in women’s basketball is not enough. Records mean more than just how good your season was; they sometimes mean how long your season lasts.
When the Auburn University (15-12, 6-8 SEC) came to town Sunday, Mississippi State (17-10, 6-8 SEC) knew what it had to do on its beloved Senior Night. Win.
And that’s exactly what the Lady Dawgs did, putting away Auburn in overtime, 75-68.
“It’s been a long four years, but I’m glad that we ended it the way we ended it tonight,” senior guard Ebonie Ferguson said. “It’s been great playing with these guys.”
From tip to finish, MSU battled as if there were no tomorrow. Just ask the nation’s leading scorer, Tan White. She dominated the game, tallying 34 points while going 7-8 from behind the arc.
“I’m just really glad Tan White’s graduating,” Auburn head coach Nell Fortner said. “This is my first year in the SEC, but I don’t want to see her anymore. She’s a heck of a player. She made some big, big plays today. We couldn’t guard her. It didn’t matter what she did.”
Despite the loss, Fortner should be happy that there was even an overtime period for her team to compete in.
As time was expiring in the second half, White dribbled around a screen and sank a three-point shot to seemingly win the tied ballgame.
However, after looking at the replay monitor for several minutes, the referees decided that the shot was released after the buzzer had sounded and an extra five minutes was placed on the clock.
“There were just a couple of angles for them to review from, front and back. I think that if they’d had an angle from the side they would have been able to see the light and the shot better,” MSU head coach Sharon Fanning said. “That’s just one of those tough decisions they have to make. It’s something you have to go with.”
White scored 10 points in the overtime period to give MSU the victory.
After Sunday’s win, MSU will enter the SEC tournament as the No. 6 seed and face No. 11 seed Arkansas at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C. Thursday at 9:15 p.m.
This post-season match-up should provide MSU with all the fuel they need to succeed, as the Lady RazorBacks ended State’s 12-game win streak on Jan. 16.
“We owe them. They ended our streak. That’s something that I know I haven’t forgotten,” said senior guard Tiania Burns, who contributed eight points and seven rebounds.
With the NCAA tourney committee watching, Fanning said MSU hopes to win more ballgames in Greenville and increase their chances of extending their postseason run.
“We have to win some in the SEC Tournament. How many? I don’t know. But we’ve had this number from our league [earn births] before.”