Mississippi
Women’s Basketball: Veterans step up for Mississippi State in big road win over Florida
Four days after Mississippi State fell apart down the stretch in a disappointing home loss against Tennessee, the Bulldogs showed their mettle and took over a game with a late surge of their own.
Led by veterans Jerkaila Jordan and Jessika Carter, MSU found a way to win a shootout against a high-powered offensive team in Florida, responding every time the Gators made a run. Florida managed to tie the game six times but never took the lead as the Bulldogs earned an 89-77 victory Monday night that will go down as a Quadrant 1 win in the NET rankings.
Jordan (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Carter (18 points, 15 boards) each recorded a double-double and were two of five MSU players in double figures. Debreasha Powe had 15 points, Lauren Park-Lane added 12 and Darrione Rogers chipped in with 11. The Bulldogs (16-5, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) finished 7-for-17 from 3-point range, an encouraging sign for a team that had been struggling in that department so far in SEC play.
MSU came out firing to start the game, racing out to an 8-0 lead after just 39 seconds, but the Gators (10-7, 1-4) finished the first quarter on a 10-2 run to tie the game. The second and third quarters followed similar scripts — the Bulldogs would reestablish a lead, only for Florida to quickly cut the margin.
Leilani Correa, coming off a 30-point outburst in a win over Georgia, put up 31 against MSU despite coming off the bench. Former Bulldog Aliyah Matharu, who also did not start, added 16 points in just 18 minutes for the Gators.
But the visitors took control for good in the fourth. Quick baskets by Jordan, Erynn Barnum and Carter in the first minute of the final quarter boosted the MSU lead back to eight, and after Florida rallied again to make it a one-possession game, Rogers canned a massive 3-pointer to quiet the home crowd.
Three straight layups by Carter put the Bulldogs ahead by double digits for the first time, and Park-Lane scored five points in the last two minutes to put the Gators away.
MSU now has a full week to prepare for a huge home game against defending national champion LSU next Monday night. The No. 9 Tigers, though, host top-ranked and undefeated South Carolina on Thursday before they visit Starkville.
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