Mississippi
Mississippi State vs Cal in March Madness: Our pick for 2025 NCAA tournament opener
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball came up just short of the NCAA tournament last season.
The Bulldogs (21-11) are back now and didn’t have to worry much on Selection Sunday, drawing a No. 9 seed and a matchup versus No. 8 California (25-8) in Los Angeles on Saturday (4:30 p.m., ESPN2).
“It’s just goosebumps as an adult to see these kids have an experience that they’ll never forget,” MSU third-year coach Sam Purcell said.
Here’s our prediction for the first-round March Madness game.
Buy Mississippi State NCAA tournament tickets vs Cal
Mississippi State women’s basketball vs Cal prediction
Mississippi State 79, Cal 76: The Bears are one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the nation with 8.9 makes per game. Guards Ioanna Krimili and Lulu Twidale are both in the top 12 nationally making nearly three 3-pointers per game. That should make for a high-scoring game, especially with Mississippi State allowing 6.5 3-pointers per game.
Mississippi State could have the advantage with its depth. Cal has three players that play more than 30 minutes per game compared to only one for Mississippi State. That’s where MSU center Madina Okot could tilt the game. If she can have a dominant performance in the post that causes foul trouble for Cal, the Bulldogs could be in a good spot.
MSU has had plenty of turnover issues this season, but Cal forces only 14.7 per game.
When does Mississippi State play in March Madness?
- Date: Saturday, March 22
- Time: 4:30 p.m. CT
Where to watch Mississippi State vs Cal
Mississippi State vs Cal tickets
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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