Mississippi State basketball was clicking on all cylinders this weekend. 
   The men’s team set the tone on Saturday by capturing a 68-58 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks at the Hump.
   Not to be outdone, the women’s team responded with a victory of their own and defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 61-52 in Starkville on Sunday. 
   The win put the record for the No. 16 ranked women’s basketball team at 24-6 overall and 11-5 in league play. It also secured the team a tie for second place in the southeastern conference, which is the highest finish in program history. 
   As for the men’s team, their conference victory over the Gamecocks improved their overall record to 13-15 overall and 6-10 in conference play.
Before the start of the game, the Bulldogs honored their lone senior, Sherise Williams with a heartfelt  video. Head coach Vic Schaefer spoke on how she has developed as a player and thanked her  for pushing herself every game. Her teammates also commented on her beautiful heart and rich personality. 
In the first half of the senior night game, Alabama came in strong beginning with a quick four points and competitive defense that kept the Bulldogs on their toes. Their run was cut short when Morgan William scored the first Bulldog bucket with six minutes to go in the first quarter. Victoria Vivians scored her 1,000th point before being sat down for an early two fouls late in the quarter. Lone senior Sherise Williams was a starter for the game to honor her last regular season performance at The Hump and contributed to the Bulldogs’ explosive start. Alabama was silent  halfway through the first quarter and watched the Bulldogs build a comfortable gap to end the quarter  ahead 17-9.
The Crimson Tide fought an uphill battle during the second quarter. Alabama had an impressive 73 percent shooting for the half. Their guard Hannah Cook and Quanetria Bolton took over as the Bulldogs defense began to sputter.  The Bulldogs collected six fouls in the quarter. Going into the last three minutes of the half, the Bulldog offense began to progress as they  went on a 6-0 run led by Dillingham. Fortunately, the first quarter’s margin served as a safety net as the Crimson Tide outscored the Bulldogs 16-11 before the half. 
In the third quarter, both teams performed      well     on both sides of the ball.  With Vivians back in, Alabama’s defense kept focusing on shutting her out but luckily the Bulldogs were equipped with multiple weapons like Dillingham and Morgan William. Coach Schaefer said he noticed the Crimson Tide’s attempt to key in on Vivians.
“I realized that they target and guard Victoria pretty tough now, but it leaves Dominique open and gives her a chance to show her skills,”  Schaefer said. Whenever Vivians was in trouble or  not in a position to take the shot, Dillingham and William took charge and produced the points the Bulldogs needed. 
Chinwe Okorie dominated the Crimson Tide with rebounding help from Vivians. Alabama did out rebound Mississippi State 30-21, but their plight was incomplete shots. With back to back field goals and free throws late in the third, the Bulldogs put up a 10-point lead entering the final quarter in an attempt to pull away. 
The Bulldogs began closing out the game with a smooth offense as Alabama tried to rally late. Okorie led the defense as Dillingham kept the team from closing any gaps in the score. She scored seven of the 15 points in the final quarter.
Though shaky at the end, the Bulldogs closed the game with a nine point lead winning 61-52.
With the conference win against the Crimson Tide, the women’s team secured the third place spot for Bulldogs in the SEC tournament.  Schaefer applauded  the growth his team has exhibited this year after the game.   
“I watched these ladies fight to get themselves to 11-5 and to be no worse than third and almost tie for second is quite an accomplishment and I’m very proud of them,” Schaefer said. 
With the number three seed in the SEC tournament, the girls will head to Jacksonville, Florida to play Georgia, Ole Miss or Vanderbilt in Veterans Memorial Arena on March 4. After the SEC Tournament, the Bulldogs will go compete for a chance in winning a National Championship in the NCAA National Tournament. 
The men’s team will travel to Oxford Wednesday to face bitter in-state rival Ole Miss. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.  MSU will then have a three-day layoff before they face Auburn in the Hump for their final game of the season. The  home contest will tipoff at 1:30 p.m.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Jacob Follin

Dominique Dillingham takes a jumper during the No. 16 Bulldogs senior night victory over Alabama.