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How Sam Purcell thinks Mississippi State women’s basketball can solve its inconsistency problem

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How Sam Purcell thinks Mississippi State women’s basketball can solve its inconsistency problem


STARKVILLE — Sam Purcell called two timeouts in the first quarter of Sunday’s Mississippi State women’s basketball game versus Alabama.

The third-year MSU coach said he can’t recall ever doing that. 

And then he admitted he should’ve called the third of his four allotted timeouts. 

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The Bulldogs were crushed 26-11 in the quarter, setting up an 80-60 loss to the No. 23 Crimson Tide (20-5, 7-4) at Humphrey Coliseum. They trailed by 25 points at halftime, their largest deficit through two quarters this season. 

“They did a great job jumping on us 8-0,” Purcell said. “And then the next thing you know is the hustle plays, which were unacceptable. Kid goes diving out of bounds, throws it over her head, those are 50-50 balls that you got to win. We dribble it up, don’t have awareness, they steal it. Next thing you know, that’s where I’m finding another (timeout) because obviously we didn’t learn from the first timeout.”

It was another game in which Mississippi State’s wild in-game inconsistencies were apparent. 

MSU (17-8, 4-7 SEC) outscored Alabama in the third and fourth quarters, whittling a once 28-point lead to 13 with 4:06 to play. The deficit was too much to overcome. 

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It’s also not the first time this season in which the Bulldogs’ production swung like a pendulum. The result is losses: This was Mississippi State’s fifth defeat in the past seven games. 

“Today was, again, an example when you play in this league, you got to bring it for four quarters,” Purcell said. “So that’s where my focus is coming out the gate, sustaining hard work for four quarters to give yourself a chance at the end.”

Where Sam Purcell thinks Mississippi State can be more consistent

Purcell said he thought the game played out similarly to the Feb. 2 loss at LSU. Mississippi State was outscored 24-12 in the first quarter of that game and fell behind by 18 in the second quarter before losing 81-67. 

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He also pointed to the Jan. 2 loss at Kentucky in which the Bulldogs were inconsistent quarter-by-quarter en route to a 91-69 loss. 

The Jan. 5 loss to South Carolina is another example. MSU had an 11-point lead in the second quarter but was outscored 51-17 in the next 16:46 in a 27-point loss.

“You got to get defensive stops right in this league to win,” Purcell said “And again, because we missed some layups and some open shots, I thought it affected us on the defensive end. And that’s the parts why I keep on referencing this game, the LSU, the Kentucky, is, OK, you didn’t come out the gate and make shots. You got to have another layer and another toughness, and that’s what I’m fighting with this team. That’s where we’re not going to settle as a coaching staff to continue because we got great basketball ahead of us to get an identity that’s a little bit more tough on the defensive end.”

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.



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Mississippi

11 indicted in $12.3 million Mississippi Medicaid fraud scheme, AG says

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11 indicted in .3 million Mississippi Medicaid fraud scheme, AG says


JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Eleven people have been indicted in connection with an alleged Medicaid fraud scheme involving more than $12.3 million.

This according to Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who said the indictments involve allegations of fraudulent billing, wire fraud, and/or false documentation seeking to defraud the government.

All 11 charged include:

  • Isluv Robertson, 36, of Jackson
  • Shawncee Vassar-Cunningham, 51, of Olive Branch
  • Katricia Smith, 47, of Olive Branch
  • Sheila Boney Collins, 53, of Hollandale
  • Ahyana Nicole Crosby, 34, of Laurel
  • Angela Nannette Crosby, 51, of Laurel
  • Yolanda Evette Blackman, 54, of Hattiesburg
  • Linda Jenkins, 46, of Hermanville
  • Deja Almore, 30, of Yazoo City
  • Curtis Moore, 51, of Gulfport
  • Taylor Christian Rushing, 34, of Gautier

Officials said the defendants are accused of participating in health care fraud schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in intended loss.

“These indictments are just the latest efforts we are taking to fight waste, fraud, and corruption,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I am proud to partner with President Trump to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure that money meant to help those in need is not stolen from safety net programs. I will remain laser-focused on rooting out fraud, recovering money wrongfully stolen from hard-working taxpayers, and holding fraudsters accountable.”

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Governor: At least 47 homes, 50 roads damaged by Mississippi storms, flooding – SuperTalk Mississippi

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Governor: At least 47 homes, 50 roads damaged by Mississippi storms, flooding – SuperTalk Mississippi


Gov. Tate Reeves has released updated damage assessments following the severe weather and flooding that inundated parts of southern Mississippi last week.

According to Reeves, assessments through the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency are ongoing, and disaster aid is still being distributed through a mix of federal, state, and local agencies, along with nonprofits. But numbers as of Monday morning showed dozens of homes and businesses damaged and even more public roads affected.

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Among the counties with significant impacts are Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Jackson, Pearl River, Perry and Stone. Across those counties and others, at least 47 homes were affected, seven of which were completely destroyed. Nine businesses sustained damaged, six of which are considered major. One farm sustained major damage.

A Harrison County roadway is flooded by the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Photo by Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via SuperTalk Mississippi News)

50 public roadways were affected, including four that are considered major and four that were completely destroyed. Two bridges sustained major damage, while two public buildings sustained minor damage.

Reeves said two rivers are in the moderate flood stage – Leaf River near McClain and the Pascagoula River at Graham Ferry.

15 other waterways are in the minor flood stage: Big Black River near Bentonia, Biloxi River near Lyman, Chickasawhay River at Enterprise, Chickasawhay River at Leakesville, East Hobolochitto Creek near Caesar, Pascagoula River at Merrill, Pearl River at Jackson, Pearl River near Pearl River, Pearl River near Philadelphia, Pearl River at Rockport, Strong River at D’Lo, Tallahala Creek at Laurel, Tuscolameta Creek at Laurel, West Hobolochitto Creek near McNeill, and Wolf River around Gulfport.

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A sinkhole caused by flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur is seen in Covington County on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Photo courtesy of the Covington County Emergency Management Agency)

Damage reports could have worsened on Monday with additional rounds of severe weather in some parts of the state. The worst of the storms and floods came with the remnants of what was Tropical Storm Arthur late last week and into the weekend.



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Family of 1-year-old killed by police at a Walmart in Mississippi wants video released

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Family of 1-year-old killed by police at a Walmart in Mississippi wants video released


(AP) – A Mississippi family whose 1-year-old child was killed when police fired into a moving vehicle said Monday they want authorities to release video showing whether officers were in danger of being struck when one of them opened fire.

The shooting has sparked outrage in the small city of Senatobia, where some say it’s the latest in a series of troubling encounters between police and Black residents.

Kohen Wiley was riding with his mother and another woman in a Walmart parking lot on June 14 when police responded to a shoplifting call. The family says they were driving away, while the officers say the car was heading toward them.

This undated photo provided by Veronica Roberson in June 2026 shows her grandson, Kohen Wiley, of Senatobia, Miss.(Veronica Roberson | Veronica Roberson via AP)

“I watched my baby take his first breath, and I watched my baby take his last breath,” Vellesiya Wiley said at a news conference Monday.

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The other woman in the car, whose name has not been released, suffered “critical injuries,” according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the inquiry.

Standing alongside Kohen’s parents and grandparents at a local church, civil rights attorney Ben Crump told reporters Monday that the best way to determine whether the officers were at risk is to publicly release any body camera, dash camera or Walmart security camera video.

“If that is the truth, then show us that,” Crump said. “The longer you delay releasing the video, the more distrustful we become.”

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation declined to comment on what videos investigators have or whether they would be released, agency spokesperson Bailey Martin said Monday.

“This case has been made a top priority,” Martin said in an emailed statement, “and we currently have multiple agents working tirelessly to ensure every aspect of the investigation is thoroughly examined.”

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The agency says the officers weren’t hurt. Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford did not return a phone message seeking comment Monday.

State investigators gave an initial account of the shooting last week, saying that when Senatobia police arrived at the Walmart, they found two women and a child getting into a car and driving away.

“Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene,” the agency statement said.

Kohen’s mother has said the shoplifting call was over a box of diapers that her friend was carrying — and that she believes her friend had paid for the diapers. State investigators declined to comment on those details.

Crump questioned why police didn’t let the car go and take down the license plate number.

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“They were called over a box of diapers and a family now has to bury their baby,” Crump said Monday. “You cannot put those two things next to each other and call it reasonable policing.”

Crump also said an independent autopsy would be performed.

While there’s no question the child was shot by police, he said, details about the angles at which any bullets struck the child could yield clues as to whether the officer fired from in front of the car or off to the side — and therefore whether that officer was in any danger.

Policing expert Ian Adams, who teaches criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, told The Associated Press last week that police should know that “shooting into a moving vehicle is a very bad idea and one to be avoided at almost all costs,” noting the danger to passengers and other bystanders.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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