Mississippi
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.
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.
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.
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_.
Inside the new Lego retailer, Bricks & Minifigs
Customers can buy or sell Legos and get individual bricks at the new store in Montrose.
Shoppers visiting Renaissance at Colony Park later this month will notice a big change.
Apple is moving to a new and larger store within the Ridgeland shopping center, while LEGO plans to take over Apple’s current location once the move is complete, according to Apple and other industry sources.
Apple has announced that its new store will open July 24 near the development’s Show Fountain. The company is not leaving Ridgeland. Instead, it is moving to a new location a short distance away inside Renaissance at Colony Park.
The company has operated a store at Renaissance for more than a decade. Once Apple moves into its new store, LEGO plans to open in the company’s former space. The addition will bring another well-known international brand to central Mississippi and give LEGO fans a dedicated store in the Jackson metro area.
It is another win for Ridgeland with last week’s announcement that a Dave & Buster’s that will be located at the PradoVista development near Topgolf. A site plan and architectural review for Dave & Buster’s was approved at the Ridgeland Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, July 7.
Renaissance at Colony Park continues to thrive
Over the years, the center has attracted a mix of national retailers, restaurants and specialty stores. Previous developments at Renaissance have included luxury retailers, popular restaurant chains and entertainment options that draw shoppers from across Mississippi and neighboring states.
Apple’s new location will continue offering product sales, technical support and repair services. Customers will also be able to attend the company’s “Today at Apple” classes and workshops, which provide free lessons on photography, video, music and other topics.
Apple has not released details about the size of the new store. The Ridgeland project is one of several store moves announced this summer.
Renaissance keeps storefront
For Renaissance, the deal works in several ways.
Apple stays at the shopping center and receives a newer storefront. At the same time, the center fills Apple’s former location with another high-profile retailer instead of leaving the space vacant.
LEGO stores are often considered destination retailers because customers will drive long distances to visit them. Families, collectors and hobbyists frequently seek out official LEGO stores for exclusive products and special events.
For shoppers, the most immediate change will be Apple’s July 24 opening. Customers who need repairs, technical help or product purchases will be directed to the new store after the move.
LEGO has not yet announced an opening date.
Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Mississippi leaders across the board are reflecting on the legacy of service Sen. Lindsey Graham had in Washington, D.C.
3 On Your Side spoke on the phone with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith who shared that Graham treated her like a little sister when she arrived to the Senate.
Their friendship grew outside of work, but one thing she’ll really cherish is the teamwork they developed to get things done with President Donald Trump.
“There were times he would come to me and say, OK sister, you’re going to have to break this news to Trump. If it was a difficult situation, he would say you got to soften him up, you call him and then I’ll call him after you but you’re the one that’s going to have to take care of this. Or you’ve got to go to Mar-a-Lago and handle this, but we were a pretty good team together because we were both close to the President,” said Sen. Hyde-Smith.
Sen. Hyde-Smith added, since coming to Washington, D.C., she looked up to Sen. Graham like an older brother in the chamber.
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STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball signee Landon Brown will play for the Bulldogs instead of signing a pro contract, he told the Clarion Ledger on July 12 during the 2026 MLB Draft.
Brown, a right-handed pitcher from Rosharon, Texas, was ranked as the No. 77 prospect by MLB.com. He pitched and played corner infield for Iowa Colony while winning Brazoria County Player of the Year.
He won’t be eligible again for the MLB draft until 2029.
Brown is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. He has a fastball that reaches 98 mph as part of a four-pitch mix. He also throws a slider, cutter and splitter.
Brown committed to Mississippi State in 2024 under previous coach Chris Lemonis.
He is the third high school draft prospect to reveal he will play for MSU instead of signing a pro contract. Shortstop Noah Danza withdrew from the MLB draft before it began, and pitcher Denton Lord announced after the fifth round that he was heading to Mississippi State.
Three Mississippi State signees were drafted in the first 10 rounds: shortstop Rocco Maniscalco, catcher Will Brick and outfielder Martin Shelar.
Landon Brown stats
- 66⅔ innings
- 0.63 ERA
- 110 strikeouts
- 13 walks
- .424 batting average
- 13 home runs
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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