Mississippi State women’s basketball heads near Madison Francis’ hometown

Mississippi State women’s basketball is scheduled to play at 11 a.m. CT Saturday in Buffalo, New York, about 20 minutes from Madison Francis’ hometown of Lancaster. The trip puts the Bulldogs near home for the standout, with about 100 of her family members and friends planning to attend.

The team also plans to visit Niagara Falls, where Francis may help guide her teammates around the area. Francis said returning home for the game would be fun, and called the trip an opportunity to spend time with people and places that shaped her.

Coach Sam Purcell makes an effort when possible to schedule games in the hometowns of players who join Mississippi State. He said the opportunity to see players in person means a lot, particularly because many members of the roster are from outside Mississippi.

The program has made similar trips in recent seasons: Destiney McPhaul played in her hometown of Philadelphia last season, and Eniya Russell returned to Maryland as a Bulldog the year before. Mississippi State is aiming for a 4-0 start to the season in Buffalo.

Source: Mississippi State Athletics.