Get your popcorn ready. At 2 p.m. Sunday evening the MSU Lady Bulldogs (11-8, 2-3 SEC) will head to the C.M. “Tad” Smith Coliseum to take on their streaking cross-state rivals, the No. 22 Ole Miss Lady Rebels (16-4, 5-0 SEC), in one of the biggest games of the season.
The Lady Rebels are having an excellent season and are riding a 7-game winning streak – including victories over two Top 10 teams.
The Lady Rebels are led by senior guard Armintie Price, who averages 19 points (second in the SEC), 8.6 rebounds and 3.7 steals (first in SEC).
Ole Miss is playing great team ball, leading the SEC in scoring, coming in third in scoring margin and leading in offensive rebounding.
On top of that they are playing excellent defense, leading the conference in 3-point defense, steals and turnover margin.
“They play hard and play hard together,” MSU head coach Sharon Fanning said. “They are good in transition, they bring pressure and find ways to win.”
So how do the Lady Dawgs approach an Ole Miss game – especially one against a well-playing, ranked, Southeastern Conference-leading Ole Miss team?
Coach Fanning will once again stick with the same strategy she has used all her career: defense, rebounding, fundamental offense and limiting second-chance points.
“Preparation is no different no matter who we play,” Fanning said. “We’re going to do what we do well and make them counter us.
“You have to take it one game at a time and treat each game differently.”
The Lady Bulldogs’ leaders have both kicked it up a notch for conference play.
Imesia Jackson is sporting a 12.6-point average, and Marneisha Richard’s scoring went up drastically from 8.2 points to 14.0 points per game.
Having already gone through the toughest stretch of their schedule, the Lady Bulldogs are looking up, especially after a very impressive showing against South Carolina last week.
Fanning likes what she is seeing from her young squad.
“I am seeing growth in the entire team,” she said. “(Alexis) Rack is really stepping up after being put into the starter role with the injury of Robin Porter, and I am pleased with Ty(sheka Grimes)’s and her focus. They are learning to play together.”
The Lady Rebels haven’t lost at the “Tad Pad” all year long, but if the Lady Bulldogs win Sunday’s game, it could give them a huge momentum boost with the regular season winding down.
The Lady Bulldogs will return home for three games beginning Feb. 1 against Arkansas.