You win some, and you lose some. The old cliche has been the narrative this season for the Lady Bulldogs basketball team, whose conference record now stands at 5-4.
MSU took on the No. 9 Georgia Lady Bulldogs and No. 23 Kentucky Lady Wildcats last week and saw mixed results in the matchups.
When Georgia visited the Hump on Thursday, they came in riding an 18-win season, with their most recent victory over No. 5 ranked Tennessee.
However, senior guard Alexis Rack scored 34 points and showed why she is second in the nation in 3-pointers and second in the SEC in scoring. She sunk 7 of 10 treys, and 9 of 9 at the line in the onslaught. Seniors Armelie Lumanu and Chanel Mokango each added 15 and 14 points, respectively, for the 74-66 win.
Georgia head coach Andy Landers has seen it all in his 31 years coaching the Bulldogs, and gave a simple assessment after the game.
“Rack shot it terrifically from three, and hit all her free throws,” he said. “End of story.”
Mississippi State head coach Sharon Fanning-Otis said her team let up a little and almost allowed Georgia to slip back in the door, but was able to shut it at the end.
“We found a way to get a huge win and maintain composure as it went along,” she said. “It was a tremendous team win for us.”
Fanning-Otis said Rack’s contributions were crucial, not just for her points but also her leadership, especially with senior Tysheka Grimes recovering from injury.
“When you look at the experience on this basketball team, Rack is the only one on the floor that’s been through it for four years,” she said. “Her communication and leadership is very important.”
She said Grimes is just starting to practice again, and nearly ready to come back.
If Sunday’s game against Kentucky is any indication, it could not be soon enough.
The Bulldogs met the Wildcats riding a two-game winning streak against ranked opponents, but that was as far as this streak would extend. When the dust settled, Rack had fouled out with only 11 points and Mississippi State dropped the conference matchup to Kentucky, 69-59.
Mokango paced the team early on, with a final tally of 17 points on Sunday.
However, after several questionable calls that brought thunderous boos raining down from the rafters, Mokango was in foul trouble only five minutes into the first half. Kentucky’s defense did not stop her, but the officials could, and the senior played only 24 minutes in the game.
“[Coach] was just telling me to be smart when I get in,” she said. “When I got my fourth foul, I was saying, ‘I’m fine. I won’t get my fifth foul, because I didn’t play much in the first half because of foul trouble.’ And I didn’t get to help my team. I helped my team the second half.”
After the loss, Fanning-Otis was tough in her criticism, but said the team had to put the game behind them and move on to the next match against Alabama on Thursday at 8 p.m.
“Alabama is a good basketball team,” she said. “Every team in this league can win. There are several teams in this league in a position to go to the NCAA tournament, and we’re one of them. So we have to play that way, and play to win games.”
Plus, she said Grimes will finally be ready to start contributing again.
“Whether she’s in a starting rotation or she’s coming off the bench, Ty brings some stats to us,” Fanning-Otis said. “She’s quick, she gets some transition buckets. She’s able to rebound, shoots outside and inside, and she’s tough. She just understands. She and Rack bring the most experience in the SEC of anyone on our basketball team. So hopefully her experience will pay off for the team.”