Women’s Hoops: No. 14 Bulldogs Hang on to Beat Ole Miss 60-56
In the 100th meeting between the two teams, the 14th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs won their 14th-straight game over their in-state rival Ole Miss. Both teams struggled to score in the first quarter which ended in a 12-12 tie. The Bulldogs would do slightly better in the second quarter, taking a four point lead into halftime.
Mississippi State (8-2, 3-1) would come out on fire in the 3rd quarter outscoring Ole Miss 19-11 to take a twelve point lead into the final frame. However, after building a fourteen point lead, the Bulldog offense would go cold in the fourth quarter allowing Ole Miss to keep it close. With only seconds left and a chance to tie or take the lead, Ole Miss had the ball aiming to take the final shot. The Rebels however, missed the attempt and turned it over to the Bulldogs. The game ended with Myah Taylor hitting two free throws after a quick foul by Ole Miss.
The game was much closer than what the Bulldogs have grown accustomed to over the last several years. Ole Miss (7-2, 1-2) went into the game coming off their first SEC win in nearly two years after beating the Auburn Tigers earlier in the week. The Rebels have been one of the more improved teams in the country this year and showed the Bulldogs that they were no slouch.
While beating Ole Miss in nothing new to the Mississippi State players, first-year coach Nikki McCray-Penson notched her first win in the rivalry in her only attempt. Coach McCray-Penson expressed the importance of closing out games when leading late, and tonight the Bulldogs did just that.
Mississippi State will return to action Thursday as they welcome a tough Alabama team to The Hump.
