“One of my goals for the season is to pack The Hump before I graduate. It’s always great to play in front of a home crowd. I challenge our fans to come out and support us,” Bulldog All-American LaToya Thomas said in an early season interview.
For Thomas, Bulldog players and coaches and avid Lady Bulldog fans everywhere the dream has been simple–to pack The Hump. On Sunday, Feb. 9, against fourth-ranked LSU, their dream may come true.
When the 11th ranked Lady Bulldogs take the floor Sunday afternoon, two events working for the same goal will be taking place. “Take a Kid To the Game” and “Pack the Hump” are both working to get fans interested in the Lady Bulldogs and sports in general.
“It’s a great opportunity for local youths to come and see a championship caliber basketball team. We are excited that the date worked out for this game in particularly since it is a critical SEC West match-up of two top 15 teams,” said assistant AD of marketing Mike Richey about “Take a Kid To The Game.”
The event will admit anyone who is 18 and under and accompanied by an adult. All MSU students are also admitted free with their student ID.
Also, the ladies of Zeta Tau Alpha will be sponsoring “Pack the Hump” in order to grant LaToya Thomas her wish of seeing The Hump packed with Mississippi State fans.
Zeta Historian/Reporter Ashley Ott said that they have contacted television and radio stations all around the state of Mississippi as well as informing fraternity and sorority members about the event in an effort to grant Thomas and the MSU players their wish.
“We invited the team over to the house and told them what we wanted to do to show our support and appreciation for what they do,” said Ott. “We just wanted to make their dream come true. We’re excited about it, and the players are very excited.”
“It’s a great opportunity for MSU fans to support a team who is ranked 11th in the country and to say ‘thanks’ to LaToya,” coach Sharon Fanning said. “You don’t get an opportunity to see players like her very often. It should be a great matchup between two great teams.”
The interest in women’s basketball has been on the increase in the last few years all over the United States. Just last week, the buzz around the matchup between No. 1 Duke and No. 2 Connecticut reached a fever pitch as Cameron Indoor Stadium was sold out and the “Cameron Crazies,” who traditionally only show up for men’s games, filled the student section and created an atmosphere foreign to women’s basketball.
“What we’re trying to do here, is to build an atmosphere such as the one at Duke,” Fanning said.
The previous women’s attendance record here at MSU is 5,683 set on Feb. 17, 2000, when the Lady Bulldogs took on the Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
The series between State and LSU is 31-4 in favor of the Tigers, but the four wins by MSU have come in Starkville.
The game between the Lady Dawgs and the Lady Tigers will tip-off at 2 p.m. at The Hump. The game will be televised by JP Sports.