After a slow start the Mississippi State University Bulldogs responded to beat the Florida Gators 75-62.
MSU relied on its pressure defensive and offensive ball movement to come away with the victory. The Bulldogs forced 20 turnovers in the game and recorded seven blocks and eight steals. 
On the offensive end, MSU tallied 19 assists on 25 made shots. The ball movement makes it hard for the defense to key on one player. Sophomore Brenna Richardson led all Bulldog scorers with 16 points, making five out of her 10 shots. 
Victoria Vivians was named SEC co-freshman of the week due to her performances against Kentucky, 39 points, and Florida, 10 points. 
The Bulldogs grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, six from senior Martha Alwal, which resulted in 19 second chance points for MSU. 
“The kids were a little dead when the game started,” MSU Head Coach Vic Schaefer said in a news release. “I am really proud of everything we have accomplished. We have set a lot of milestones here that people didn’t think were possible when we got here three years ago. We have some high expectations around here. With three league games left and the conference tournament, there is still a lot for this team to accomplish.”
After the win, the Bulldogs moved into sole possession of the third spot in the SEC standings with three games left in the regular season. The top four seeds in the conference receive double byes for the SEC tournament. MSU is one game ahead of the fifth seed, Texas A&M. 
With games left against Alabama, No. 1 South Carolina and Ole Miss, the Bulldogs will need to be locked in and cannot afford slow starts like the one against Florida. 
“We had a chance to blow it out but let them back in because of poor decision-making,” Schaefer said. “We are past the point of being satisfied with winning. It is a matter of how are you going about winning. The process is just as important as the end result.”
MSU will travel to Alabama for its next game on February 22 at 3 p.m.