The Mississippi State University women’s basketball team took down the Georgia Bulldogs Thursday night inside Humphrey Coliseum.
This win puts Mississippi State with 20 wins on the season and marks the first time in program history that a head coach has had two 20-plus wins in each of their first two seasons. This also marks Mississippi State’s fifth consecutive win and ranks them third in the SEC.
From the opening tip-off, Mississippi State asserted their dominance with an awe-inspiring performance on both ends of the court. Their defensive tenacity was evident as they held the Georgia Bulldogs to a season-low 12 points inside the paint — a remarkable feat considering Georgia’s average of 29 points in the paint leading up to the game.
Not content with just stifling their opponents defensively, Mississippi State unleashed a relentless offensive onslaught that left the Georgia defense scrambling to keep up. MSU outscored Georgia in every quarter with the lead never changing after 6 minutes into the first quarter.
Leading the charge for Mississippi State was senior guard Jerkaila Jordan, whose sublime performance was a testament to her skill and determination. Jordan poured in a team-leading 19 points in her 33 minutes on the court, but teammates Erynn Barnum and Jessika Carter delivered standout performances of their own, each contributing 18 points to the team’s impressive total.
Teamwork was what really made Mississippi State truly shine during the game. Head coach Sam Purcell looked on with pride as his team executed their game plan flawlessly. With 27 assists on 33 made baskets, every player contributed to the team’s success.
The playmaking of Lauren Park-Lane was instrumental in Mississippi State’s triumph. Park-Lane’s nine assists were a testament to her vision and court awareness as she consistently found her teammates in scoring positions, setting them up for success.
As the final buzzer sounded and the crowd erupted in celebration, head coach Sam Purcell could not help but smile with satisfaction at the performance he had just witnessed.
“My team is just focused right now to finish four quarters and win all four quarters,” Purcell said. “I couldn’t be more of a happy coach.”
The 19-point margin the team won by is the largest in conference play thus far. This exciting team has potential to accomplish great things as they go into the rest of the season.
Mississippi State will next face in-state rival Ole Miss at the Pavilion in Oxford Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. The game will air on the SEC+ ESPN Network.
