It will be the beginning of a crazy week for Head coach Vic Schaefer and the team, as Mississippi State University (1-0) women’s basketball has two games to play.
“We got two games this week, it seems like everyone else in the country has played two or three games and we have played one,” Schaefer said. “So we are going to catch up to them. We have got two really good teams that we are playing this week.”
MSU will also play University of Southern Mississippi on Sunday, but they are focusing on Georgia State University first, as the last few practices have not been great according to Schaefer. GSU is also a team who can challenge MSU as they played the University of Florida closely.
“Practice wasn’t that great Saturday and it wasn’t really good yesterday,” Schaefer said. “Again I have told you all that key to our season will be leadership and maturity. We have got to come out today and have a good day of practice, a good day of prep, and get ready for a really good team.”
Schaefer is welcoming the challenge GSU brings in their different defensive playing styles. It is also an opportunity for point guards to get better and make decisions faster in an in-game scenario.
“This team is going to throw a lot of different defenses at us, point guard play is going to be critical,” Schaefer said. “They are going to have to think, they are going to have to get us in the right offenses, and in the right press attacks. They are well-coached, and they are going to make you think and adjust.”
GSU likes to crash the boards defensively and get out on the fast break, which means MSU will have to do a good job blocking out. It will also be a role Victoria Vivians, a senior guard from Carthage, will have to undertake as she has been put in the four position.
“I think I’ve been trying to do that a little bit, I have been trying to go to the boards and get rebounds, and not only defensive rebounds but also offensive rebounds,” Vivians said. “They have been saying that a lot, they have been on me in practice everyday. I hear it probably a hundred times per day, so I just got to do it.”
MSU will throw it back to the 1970’s as they celebrate 70’s night against GSU. The game is at home in Humphrey Coliseum and tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
