The 2,016 Bulldog fans in attendance for Sunday’s women’s match-up between No. 16 Mississippi State (18-6, 6-4) and Kentucky (9-13, 2-8) received more than their money’s worth. MSU finished the game with their largest margin of victory over a SEC foe ever with the 96-46 victory.
The Lady Bulldogs dictated the game from the tip-off. MSU cruised to a 17-point lead in the first seven minutes of the game, and did not allow the Wildcats to score until seven minutes and 56 seconds had ticked off the clock.
MSU took a 36-17 lead into the locker room for halftime on the hot shooting of Tan White. White posted 10 points in the first half on 3-of-3 shooting from the field, she also posted five rebounds, four steals, three assists and one block during the first period.
After trading baskets for the first minute of the second half, the Lady Bulldogs halted all hopes of a Wildcat comeback. With the score 43-23, MSU went on a 23-0 run over the next seven minutes. During the run, LaToya Thomas notched 12 points, two steals and an assist.
In the second half the Lady Bulldogs shot an amazing 71 percent (22-31) from the field, topped only by their 75 percent (9-12) from 3-point range. MSU finished the game shooting 59 percent from the field and 67 percent from three-point range. The Lady Bulldog defense held the Wildcats to just 37 percent from the field and from 3-point range.
MSU placed four players in double figures scoring for the game, and 11 Lady Bulldogs scored during the contest. Thomas led all scorers in the game with 22 points; she also finished two rebounds short of her fifth consecutive double-double with eight. White posted 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists, five steals and two blocks. Rebecca Kates finished with 11 points on the strength of 3-of-4 from three-point range, and Seneca Anderson rounded out the Bulldog double-digit scorers with 10 points.
Danyelle Payne led the Wildcats with 12 pints for the contest. Sara Potts was the only other UK player in double-digits with 10 points.
The 96 points for the Lady Bulldogs makes the most points this season. MSU also posted the second largest margin of victory this season; the Bulldogs beat Central Florida 81-30 on Dec. 20.
On the heels of Sunday’s victory, the Lady Bulldogs will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for one of their most important and most difficult games of the season. The No. 13 Lady Razorbacks (19-6) will be coming off an 83-59 defeat at the hands of No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks. At the moment, the Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Razorbacks stand in a tie for the fifth spot in the conference with identical 6-4 records. The two teams trail Vanderbilt (7-3) by one game for the fourth spot, and the last first-round bye in the SEC Tournament.