STARKVILLE — There’s no telling how far the Mississippi State women’s basketball can go if it remains in a giving mood.
Judging from the efforts of Morgan William and the rest of the Bulldogs on Sunday, MSU doesn’t intend to stop sharing the basketball anytime soon.
Victoria Vivians had a season-high 27 points, and William handed out a career-high 11 assists to help No. 8 MSU beat Savannah State 92-25 before a crowd of 3,672 at Humphrey Coliseum.
“It’s fun to see us passing the ball to teammates and seeing them get great shots,” William said. “We don’t have to create our shots or force shots. Coach tells us an extra pass is what makes a good shot become a great shot.”
The win capped a five-game season-opening homestand for MSU (5-0) and set the stage for its biggest test, a matchup against No. 8 Texas at 7 p.m. Wednesday (Longhorn Network) in Austin, Texas. Texas (5-0) defeated No. 4 Tennessee 64-53 on Sunday to snap the Lady Volunteers’ 27-game home winning streak.
MSU’s win was its 10 straight at home, which now is the second-longest streak in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs extended that streak thanks to another performance highlighted by generosity. Ten players had assists for MSU, which finished with 27, its third-highest total of the season. Entering the game, MSU was second in the nation in assists per game (22.5) and fourth in the nation in scoring (94 points per game).
While the victories and gaudy statistics have come against teams ranked 146 or lower in the final 2014-15 Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), according to RealTimeRPI.com, there is no denying MSU’s production is some of its best in recent memory. In coach Vic Schaefer’s fourth season in Starkville, the Bulldogs have their most assists (117) and fewest turnovers (49) through five games. It also is the second-straight season MSU has a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in that span.
Historically, MSU has had its issues with assists and turnovers. You have to go all the way back to 2000 for the last time MSU had more assists (537) than turnovers (513) in a season. Considering MSU had 334 assists and 603 turnovers in Schaefer’s first season as head coach at MSU in 2012-13, its start to the 2015-16 campaign is encouraging.
“I think (sharing the basketball) is something we have talked about and focused on,” Schaefer said. “I think as a player you learn to enjoy someone else’s success as much as your own. I think when it becomes less about yourself and more about the team, I think that is what happens, you get more unselfishness and more sharing the ball.”
William’s 11 assists tied for the sixth most in a game in program history, and matched the most by a Bulldog sophomore.
Four of William’s assists were to Vivians, who shot 10 of 18 from the field. The effort marked the fourth game in a row she has shot 50 percent or better from the field. Against the Tigers, many of her shots came in rhythm thanks to timely passes from her teammates.
“I know I did a lot of settling last year,” said Vivians, who is shooting 50 percent (35 of 70) from the field after shooting 36.8 percent (team-high 14.9 ppg.) last season. “Like coach said, good shot or great shot, make the extra pass and it is a great shot, especially if they are wide open and you know your teammates can knock it down.”
MSU held Savannah State (1-3) to 2-of-19 shooting in the first half to build a 48-12 halftime lead. The Tigers, who were 8 of 47 from the field (17 percent), avoided tying a Bulldog record thanks to a layup by Lauryn Fields with 14.2 seconds remaining. The record for fewest field goals in a game by an opponent is seven.
MSU didn’t have to be concerned about a lack of scoring. Sophomore Kayla Nevitt (12 points) was the only other player in double figures. Junior Dominique Dillingham had nine points, while freshman Teaira McCowan had eight points, a team-high 12 rebounds, and five blocked shots. Twelve of the 13 Bulldogs who played scored.
Things were going so smoothly for MSU that Schaefer removed Vivians and William from the game in the second half for not shooting the ball. Vivians passed up an open look in the corner, while William was admonished for not attacking the basket. She was quickly reinserted into the game and didn’t make the same mistake again.
William said film study and the instruction she receives from assistant coach Dionnah Jackson help her develop an even better understanding of what Schaefer expects and how she can help turn a good shot into a great shot.
“He shows us film and how we rush shots or we are settling,” William said. “(When he took me out), he told me to attack the basket and make shots, and to attack the basket and look for the five player (the center).”
Last season, William shared the point guard duties with senior Jerica James. Even though William didn’t start any of MSU’s 34 games last season, she often was on the court in crunch time, so she started to understand how Schaefer likes a point guard to run his team. She played an integral role in MSU’s program-record 27-win season with 123 assists (103 turnovers) in 21.4 minutes per game.
This season, William, who is the team’s captain, is serving as mentor for freshman point guard Jazzmun Holmes. Entering the game, Holmes, who had six assists Sunday to give her 31 for the season, had played more minutes than William, but that changed as William logged 26 to Holmes’ 14.
Schaefer said his goal was to play some of his starters more minutes to help get them in better game condition and to prepare them for what he expects to be a big test against Texas. Regardless of the opponent or who is in the Bulldogs’ lineup, though, sharing the basketball figures to remain a constant.
“I feel really good about our team,” Schaefer said. “We have some really good chemistry. We shared the basketball tonight (27 assists on 31 baskets). I am excited about Wednesday. Everyone wants to know how good we are, and we will certainly find out Wednesday night.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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