The Mississippi State University women’s basketball team cruised to 3-0 on the season following an 84-45 victory over the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks.
The game marked the teams’ first match up since the Bulldogs’ 69-54 win on Dec. 20, 2012.
The Bulldogs featured a new player in their starting five with freshman guard Miracle Sheppard making her first collegiate start.
Following the match, Sheppard spoke about the preparation and mindset she had going into the game.
“I feel like I was ready from the beginning, and I was just prepared because of the practice and the work we’ve been putting in,” Sheppard said. “And [I’m] giving credit for my team for helping me get ready and just being there for me.”
The Bulldogs opened the game and punched ahead to 11-2 with less than five minutes left in the first quarter. Senior guard JerKaila Jordan was essential in MSU’s early success with six points and three rebounds. The rest of the quarter was a defensive effort for both teams, as only six total points were put up on each end.
Bulldogs’ head coach Sam Purcell spoke about JerKaila Jordan’s early impact this season.
“First game, she was on pace for a 40 piece. Second game, I thought she pressed a little bit. She started going back to just going and get hers. She didn’t allow the game,” Purcell said. “And then, tonight, she sees the right opportunities at the right time.”
Mississippi State started the second quarter with a commanding 15-4 lead. The Gamecocks started with a 4-2 run, but the Bulldogs’ defense tightened, allowing them to jump to a 27-13 lead.
However, a loud silence came upon the fans of the Maroon and White when sophomore Debreasha Powe went out of the game with an apparent injury with four minutes remaining until halftime.
Quickly, the Gamecocks began to dig their way back into the game as they went on an 8-2 run, putting the game within arm’s length, but the Bulldogs pieced together another 4-0 run to close out the half ahead 33-21.
Bulldogs’ senior guard Darrione Rogers spoke about how the team refocused following the Gamecock’s second-quarter run.
“We have a motto and our quote for the year, and our word that we fall back to is the word one, and that is just us coming together, being a team, being a fist. And so when they went on their run, they’re a good team, we knew that they were going to give us their best fight,” Rogers said. “In the locker room, we just said, ‘we’ve got to come out, we’ve got to have fun, we’ve got to have we have to have energy and let’s just go out there and play as one.’”
The Bulldog faithful breathed a sigh of relief as starter Debreasha Powe returned to the court to start the half. Mississippi State was rolling in the first five minutes of the third quarter as they went on an 18-5 run.
Graduate student center Jessika Carter’s twelve points and three rebounds and graduate student forward Erynn Barnum’s six points were a huge lift for the Bulldogs in the quarter as they would end with 30 total points and a domineering 63-34 lead.
Erynn Barnum talked about what she said to Jessika Carter following a foul-heavy first half that led to their strong performance in the third quarter. 
“Jess got some early fouls, so just between us two, I told her, ‘it’s a new half, like, let’s both go dominate,’” Barnum said. “A thing we’re working on this year between the two of us and the rest of the posts is just dominate every time we’re in the paint.”
The fourth quarter began, and Mississippi State looked to close out their dominating performance with a victory. Jacksonville State was forced to take a timeout with eight minutes left after MSU went on a 7-0 run. The Bulldogs would continue to add to their lead and closed the game with an 84-45 win.
Mississippi State moves on 3-0 on the young season and will turn around for another quick game on Wednesday in Humphrey Coliseum against the University of New Orleans. The game is set for 11 a.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network.

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Madelyn Sykes | The Reflector

Mississippi State Forward/Center Jessika Carter (#4)