DURHAM, N.C. — Martha Alwal lowered herself slowly onto the stairs outside the Mississippi State women’s basketball team’s locker room, while Jerica James slouched against a nearby wall.
A 32-minute effort against a four-time All-American left Alwal, the MSU senior center, sore from the banging and bumping in the paint. Saddled with four fouls, James’ afternoon hadn’t been easier, as she was limited to 17 minutes and scored only three points.
Finality was beginning to sink in. Their MSU careers were over.
A 64-56 loss to No. 4 seed Duke in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Cameron Indoor Stadium on the Duke University campus was the end. There would be no trip to Spokane, Washington, for the Sweet 16; no more practices in Starkville; and no more running the steps of “Mount Schaefer” inside Humphrey Coliseum.
But what a glorious ride it was.
From freshmen on a team that won 14 games to “freshmen” again for a new coach with a new way of doing things a year later, Alwal, James, and teammate Kendra Grant were holdovers from coach Sharon Fanning-Otis’ final team that Vic Schaefer inherited when he took over the program in 2012. They didn’t know whether to believe Schaefer when he said he was going to help the program climb back to the top of the Southeastern Conference. They also weren’t quite sure what to make of his defensive mind-set and his fiery personality, one that held everyone accountable and dared them to dream about a return to the NCAA tournament.
Getting going
A run to the quarterfinals of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament last season whetted MSU’s appetite.
Through injuries and ups and downs during the season, the Bulldogs embraced the expectations that came from back-to-back top-40 recruiting classes and having a group of seniors that included junior college transfer Savannah Carter provide plenty of experience.
The final tally is one for the record books. The Bulldogs (27-7) set school records for season victories and for wins in the SEC (11). The spirited way in which MSU played also helped it set a single-game attendance record of 7,326 in a victory against Ole Miss on March 1. The crowd was the largest to see a women’s college basketball game in the state of Mississippi. That figure helped MSU shatter its season total of 67,598 (18 dates) and likely secured it a spot in the top 10 of the biggest attendance gains from the previous year for the second-straight year.
On Sunday, though, none of those things mattered as Alwal and James considered what could have been.
“We could have had the game won. We had it there,” James said. “All we had to do was step on their throats just a little longer, but you take it and grow. We lost this game, but we gained strength to fight another battle that may come for us in the near future. This game hurts badly, but we’ll get it together. Future teams just have to go out there and let them know Mississippi State is able to defeat anybody.”
A lost lead
Against Duke, MSU led 37-31 with 15:50 to play. The Bulldogs was handling Duke’s length and size and looked capable of pushing the program to its second Sweet 16 appearance. A 26-5 run by the Blue Devils erased that momentum and left the Bulldogs wondering what hit them.
“It has been happening all year. We never play two halves,” said Alwal, who had 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. “I think that was the biggest problem. We don’t know how to put two halves together. I hope and pray for next year that our girls get it together and they are a two-half team because if they can do that they can beat Duke and Tennessee and all of those people.”
Schaefer tried to calm his players by clapping on the sidelines and mouthing “It’s OK” early in Duke’s run. But the Blue Devils weren’t going to be denied.
Blue Devil Azura Stevens had a game-high 22 points. Rebecca Greenwell had 14 of her 17 points in the second half, while Elizabeth Williams, Duke’s All-American, had 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Ka’lia Johnson added 10 points for the Blue Devils, who secured their 16th trip to the Sweet 16, and fifth in the last sixth seasons.
That’s the kind of tradition Schaefer hopes to build at MSU.
When he thinks about what Alwal, Grant, and James meant to that construction effort, he always will be thankful for three players who didn’t quit on him and believed.
“I am proud of my team and the fight in my kids,” Schaefer said. “It has been a great journey for me as a coach. They certainly made me a better coach. I am proud to be their head coach. If you’re a Bulldog, I don’t think there is any doubt in the sense of pride you have in our program and these young ladies.”
A good run, but wanting more
Grant, who had 12 points in her final game as a Bulldog, said it was “amazing” to consider how far the program had come in three years. MSU won 13 games in Schaefer’s first season and 22 last season.
“Just to see what we came from — whether it was from attendance or the way we played — for me to witness it transform over the years, it has been amazing to be a part of it,” Grant said.
Grant didn’t play as much in her final two seasons as she did in her first two, due in part to the arrival of Dominique Dillingham. The sophomore guard has become the “heart” of the Bulldogs’ program because she plays with an abandon and an intensity that draws people to her and pushes them to play like she does. But Grant didn’t tear the team apart because she lost playing time. In fact, she was part of a chemistry that was the team’s strength.
That mix will have to be configured next season without four seniors. Don’t think, though, that MSU is going to be satisfied with getting back to the NCAA tournament. While a trip to the second round is nice, the Bulldogs want more. Dillingham said they are going to work even harder to make sure they climb higher next season.
“The future looks very bright,” Dillingham said. “We’re a team that has a lot of freshmen and sophomores on it, so I think we have a lot to build on.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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