STARKVILLE — Kayla Nevitt realizes there is no place on the Mississippi State women’s basketball team for timid players.
The 5-foot-10 freshman guard from Houston, Texas, has watched sophomore forward Ketara Chapel overcome complacency and timidness and attack the beginning of the 2014-15 season. Nevitt admits she had her share of questions and nerves as she approached her first season with the Bulldogs. Those butterflies carried over into MSU’s initial games and caused Nevitt to doubt herself and to think too much.
But Nevitt is learning how to put those thoughts out of her mind and to play basketball like she can. The results have been apparent in MSU’s last two games, as Nevitt has played 15 minutes off the bench in victories against Western Kentucky and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Nevitt will try to improve that total at 2 p.m. Saturday when No. 25 MSU (5-0) plays its first road game of the season when it takes on New Orleans.
Nevitt is averaging 3.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in four games. After not playing in a 74-61 victory against No. 17 West Virginia on Nov. 20, Nevitt had her best game as a Bulldog on Sunday when she scored seven points and had three rebounds in an 88-77 victory against Western Kentucky in the championship game of the Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville. Nevitt had one of the biggest baskets of the game when she curled off a screen and hit a jump shot with 3 minutes, 30 seconds remaining to help MSU extend its lead to 78-75.
“When coach called the play and Morgan started on my side, I knew it was coming to me,” Nevitt said. “I knew my first step was faster than the girl who was playing defense on me, so I figured I was going to be open. In my head, everybody was like, ‘Calm down, Kayla. Be patient.’ When I got the ball, I told myself I am going to rise over her and shoot it. Everything was clear. I already knew what was going to happen. If the posts helped up, I was going to dump it down. I was thinking ahead.”
MSU coach Vic Schaefer has said for a few weeks that Nevitt is making shots in practice. He also praised Nevitt for her performance in a closed-door scrimmage against Georgia Tech. Unfortunately, the statistics show Nevitt is shooting 4 of 20 (20 percent) from the field. On a team that has plenty of other options at guard — Dominique Dillingham, Kendra Grant, Savannah Carter, Blair Schaefer, not including forwards who can play on the wing — coach Schaefer said making shots will be crucial in determining playing time. Considering MSU likely will see plenty of zone defenses when senior center Martha Alwal returns from an injury, Schaefer knows having players who can hit shots on the perimeter will be vital.
“I am really proud of Kayla,” Schaefer said. “These freshmen get down so easy if they don’t play, or don’t play a lot, or don’t play at all. If I had Savannah and Kendra Grant healthy, they’d be playing maybe a little less. … It is hard for some of them right now because they are not playing a lot and they are so competitive. They are winners, and they are not afraid.
“Kayla didn’t play (against West Virginia), but came right back out and has made shots in practice. She keeps working at it. The kid is a winner. She played 15 minutes in a big game.”
In an 80-46 win against ULM on Tuesday, Nevitt was the first guard off the bench at the 14:59 mark. She went 1 of 6 from the field, including 1 of 4 from 3-point range, and had three points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Nevitt said her success is about having the right “mind-set.” She said she thought too much about “I need to do good” and “I need to make this.” But she said she talked with assistant coach Aqua Franklin, a former point guard, who told her to play defense and the game would come to her.
“I think I was more prepared for this game,” Nevitt said of the game against Western Kentucky. “I was more focused and I knew what I was getting into before the game started.”
Nevitt said she was less nervous prior to the game. She said it took time for her to adjust from high school to the college game. She also said better work and preparation in practice helped lay the foundation and allowed her to “ease her mind.” She praised her teammates for offering encouragement that helped her feel even more at comfortable.
“The first couple of games, my mind was all gobbled up and I didn’t know what to do,” Nevitt said. “I was nervous, asking a lot of questions, and overthinking the game. When I just played and let it come to me, it was easy.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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