Mississippi
Why seniors are crucial for Sam Purcell to stop Mississippi State basketball’s spiral
AUBURN, Ala. — Roaming on one end of the Neville Arena court was Auburn women’s basketball coach Johnnie Harris. Her team is on the NCAA Tournament bubble in the final week of the regular season, but the Tigers didn’t look like a fringe team on Thursday.
Auburn (18-10, 7-8 SEC) looked like a program worthy of an at-large bid. It looked like a team finding momentum at the right time with only the leap day delaying the arrival of March.
“I know this game was big going for our goals,” Harris said. “We knew we had to get this one. Our kids were locked in from the beginning.”
On the other end, Mississippi State coach Sam Purcell was pacing the sideline looking for answers. His Bulldogs (20-10, 7-8) seemed like a lock for March Madness a couple weeks ago when they were riding a five-game winning streak – highlighted by a victory against defending champion LSU.
But Thursday, MSU looked like the team carrying an uncertain future. With a 77-60 loss against the Tigers, the Bulldogs have dropped five straight. They’re playing their worst basketball – turning it over 17 times and allowing 18 offensive boards – at a time where a team should be finding momentum.
“We’re not making enough winning plays right now,” Purcell said.
Both coaches know what it takes to succeed in the postseason – specifically at Mississippi State. Harris was an assistant under Vic Schaefer (2012-2020) and helped lead MSU to back-to-back national title game appearances. Purcell was an assistant at Louisville (2013-2022) and helped lead the Cardinals to multiple Final Four trips.
As head coaches, they’re leading teams headed in opposite directions of the SEC standings. Auburn’s rise has come by capitalizing on chances against struggling conference foes such as Missouri and Kentucky. Mississippi State’s skid has featured losses against UK and Florida.
Harris and Purcell knows the importance of finding momentum going into postseason play. For Mississippi State, Sunday (2 p.m., SEC Network+) against Mizzou is the last chance to do so before win-or-go-home games begin.
“Let’s have a special night because it’s been a special group,” Purcell said. “Let’s just funnel that energy in a positive mindset. Let’s finish this off, and then we’ll talk about all that other stuff later.”
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While Mississippi State isn’t in a position it aimed for, Sunday will be a fitting representation of what could get the team back on the right path. MSU relies heavily on its seniors – whether it be those in their last season of eligibility such as Jessika Carter, Lauren Park-Lane and Erynn Barnum or a true senior with choices to make such as Jerkaila Jordan.
Auburn appears to be trending toward its first at-large bid since 2019. Sixth-year senior Honesty Scott-Grayson is a big reason why, scoring a career-high 32 points against the Bulldogs in her final home game.
Mississippi State may need a similar signature performance at Humphrey Coliseum to maintain its NCAA Tournament hopes.
“We’ve got to go home and not get kept up in the skid – but most importantly, send the seniors out right,” Purcell said.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
Here’s the nominees for Clarion Ledger girls Athlete of the Week for May 4-9
Here’s the five nominees for the Clarion Ledger girls Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for May 4-9.
There were several top performers across the state in girls high school sports, but only one can be voted as the Clarion Ledger athlete of the week for May 4-9.
Fans may vote in the poll BELOW one time per hour per device. The poll closes at noon on Friday.
To nominate a future athlete of the week, email mchavez@gannett.com or message him on X, formerly Twitter, @MikeSChavez.
To submit high school scores, statistics, records, leaders and other items at any time, email mchavez@gannett.com.
Nominations
Kara Applewhite, Sumrall: Applewhite had four hits with a home run and five RBIs in Sumrall’s 10-0 win against East Central.
Caydance Brumfield, West Marion: Brumfield produced four hits and five RBIs in West Marion’s two wins against Pisgah.
Addison Collum, West Union: Collum pitched eight innings and recorded seven strikeouts and only two earned runs in West Union’s wins against Smithville.
Addison Cornish, West Lauderdale: Cornish recorded five hits and a home run in West Lauderdale’s wins against Choctaw Central.
Addison Davis, George County: Davis pitched nine innings with 20 strikeouts and recorded two home runs and four RBIs in George County’s wins against Pearl River Central.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
‘We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.’
Bobcat stalks and strikes at Wisconsin turkey hunter
Turkey hunter Carson Bender of Wisconsin Rapids recorded a video of a bobcat that stalked and lunged at him as he hunted April 18, 2026 near Nekoosa, Wis.
Carson Bender
If a proposal made in the April meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is finalized, nonresident turkey hunters will see big changes in the 2027 spring turkey season.
“We’re doing this in a way to impact how hunting pressure occurs and how the harvest happens in the early season,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.”
Turkey hunters enjoy a three-bird bag limit and a little more than six weeks of hunting in spring, which is similar to some other states. What is at issue is when it opens. March 15 is the typical opening date for the regular season, making it one of the earliest in the nation.
That early opening date combined with a growing trend among turkey hunters is where the problem lies.
Mississippi is a destination for early season, nonresident hunters
Possibly more than any other group of hunters, turkey hunters like to travel. For some, it may be a matter of seeing a different landscape and hunting birds under condions they don’t encounter in their home state. For others it may be a quest to harvest each of the subspecies in North America.
For yet another group, it’s the challenge of harvesting a gobbler in each of the 49 states that have turkeys.
“It seems to be getting more and more popular every year,” Hinton said.
Regardless of why a turkey hunter chooses to travel, it puts a target on Mississippi’s back because for the first few weeks of the season, it’s almost the only game in town, so hunters flock to the state.
In an effort to curb the amount of hunting pressure in those first weeks of turkey season, MDWFP proposed limiting nonresident hunters to two legal gobblers per season and only one of those can be harvested before April 1.
“Hopefully, it will help curb the massive influx of pressure we get the first week or two of the season,” Hinton said.
When will turkey season changes for nonresidents be voted on?
The proposed changes aren’t the first that have been geared toward alleviating pressure on turkeys in the early part of the season by nonresidents. In 2022, the commission passed a rule requiring nonresident hunters to enter a drawing for a hunt on public land during the first two weeks of turkey season. Currently, the number of hunters drawn is limited to 800.
Like that change, the current proposal will pass or fail by a vote of the wildlife commission. In the April commission meeting, the proposal passed an initial vote. It is now in a 30-day public comment period and a final vote will be taken in the May meeting.
Public comments may be submitted at https://www.mdwfp.com/proposed-rules-regulations.
A lifelong outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Brian Broom has been writing about hunting, fishing and Mississippi’s outdoors for the Clarion Ledger for more than 14 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Mississippi high school addresses social media post, says it won’t tolerate racism or harassment
LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi high school has made a statement after a social media post involving a student surfaced.
Northeast Lauderdale High School officials say they’re reviewing a social media post involving a student.
In a statement, the school said administrators are aware of the post and are “reviewing the situation.”
The school said it is committed to maintaining a safe, orderly and respectful environment for students and staff.
“Neither our district nor our school accept or condone racism, discrimination, harassment, or behavior that is inconsistent with the expectations of our school community,” the statement said.
Officials said they are working with the appropriate parties and will address the matter in accordance with district policies and procedures.
The school added that it cannot share additional details because of student privacy laws.
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