The Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs (18-14) fought valiantly but fell short to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (22-8) 53-56 Thursday night in Bowling Green, KY. Despite scoring the first points of the contest, the Hilltoppers jumped on the Lady Bulldogs early with blitz of scoring and lockdown defense, holding the Lady Bulldogs without a field goal for over six minutes.
MSU went on a 10-4 run that brought them within four, but it would be the closest they would get before halftime.
The Lady Bulldogs only shot 26.7 percent from the field in the first half and went 2-for-16 from behind the arc.
They did not take a single shot from the free throw line.
The Lady Bulldogs got on track in the second half, going on a 10-3 run to bring the deficit down to single digits.
Foul trouble played a role in the comeback with three Lady Bulldogs carrying four fouls at the 8:47 mark.
A Marneshia Richard lay-up cut the lead to 50-55 with 1:46 left, then freshman forward Tysheka Grimes drained a huge trey to make the ballgame 53-55.
The Lady Bulldogs were poised to turn the tide, and WKU helped their cause with a quick turnover. But Grimes’ 3-point attempt on the other end was no good and the Hilltoppers took possession and cruised to a victory from the free-throw line.
State was led by junior forward Imesia Jackson with 12 points and six rebounds on the night. Grimes finished with 11 points and nine boards, and sophomore guard Marniesha Richard finished with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The five assists gave Richard 125 assists on the season, passing Tan White’s sophomore record of 124.
The Hilltoppers were led by Crystal Kelly with 15 points and eight rebounds.
“I’m proud of the progress, but disappointed at the end,” Lady Bulldog head coach Sharon Fanning said. “I’m looking forward to next season.