STARKVILLE — Vic Schaefer wasn’t surprised.
The Mississippi State women’s basketball coach didn’t expect a work of art in his team’s Maroon and White scrimmage on Wednesday night at Humphrey Coliseum. Schaefer knew there were going to be turnovers, missed defensive assignments, and a lack of execution during the five quarters of action. The final three quarters featured MSU going against its men’s practice team, which is called “The Guys.” The Guys won two of the three 10-minutes quarters en route to a 61-51 decision.
Overall, junior guard Victoria Vivians had 21 points to lead eight MSU players in double figures in a 99-96 victory by the White team.
Vivians, a preseason All-Southeastern Conference selection, was 8 of 26 from the field, including 2 of 12 from 3-point range for the Maroon team. Blair Schaefer was 6 of 12 from the field and had 17 points. Sophomore point guard Jazzmun Holmes had 15 points and six assists, while junior point guard Morgan William had 14 points and eight assists.
Sophomore center Teaira McCowan (14 points, game-high 13 rebounds), senior center Chinwe Okorie (10 points, 12 rebounds), freshman forward Ameshya Williams (13 points, 10 rebounds), and senior guard/forward Dominique Dillingham (12 points) rounded out the double-figure scorers.
“We did some good things,” Schaefer said. “The Guys were really good tonight. They really brought it, which I am glad they did. I was pleased. I thought Blair shot the ball well and our point guards (Holmes and William) played well also. I thought Ameshya played well, and (Jacaira Allen), our other freshman (who had two points, five rebounds, and two steals), brought some energy to the floor. Chinwe and Teaira shot a high percentage; we just didn’t get them the ball enough. We had way too many turnovers (33 by MSU). We had way too many offensive rebounds at critical points, but overall, it wasn’t anything I wasn’t expecting.
Okorie had 10 points in the first two quarters, when MSU players faced off against each other. Okorie, the only player in double figures in the first two 10-minute quarters, helped the Maroon team build a 45-38 halftime lead. Holmes and Schaefer had two 3-pointers as part of a 6-for-8 effort from distance in the first 20 minutes.
“We had some people step up and shoot the ball well. I think that’s important,” Schaefer said. “Again, our point guards, Morgan and Jazz, were pretty good. I thought our young kids played pretty well, or at least played with a lot of energy.”
Schaefer said earlier in the preseason that William was “back” after having surgery on her leg in the offseason. William showed bursts of speed Wednesday that were similar to the ones she dazzled MSU crowds with as a freshman. Holmes also played well against and in place of William. The points guards combined for only three of the team’s turnovers.
“She is back to being pretty explosive,” Schaefer said. “She is only going to get better There is no question about it.”
Schaefer could say the same thing about his post players. McCowan, who is 6-foot-7, blocked a team-high five shots. Williams, a 6-2 forward, showed her length by making three steals and getting five offensive rebounds. Her length enabled her to reach over defenders and not go over their backs for a foul.
“I want them better,” Schaefer said of his posts. “I want Teaira getting all of the way back instead of sideways with somebody so they have to score through her chin. I think we can dominate rebounding better.
I always want more, but I thought our bigs were pretty efficient when you look at what they shot from the floor. Teaira was 5 of 8 and Chinwe was 4 of 9. I am encouraged there, but again, it isn’t anything I was expecting.”
MSU will leave early Saturday morning to fly to Dallas, where it will work out to prepare for a closed-door scrimmage against preseason top-10 UCLA. Schaefer said the opportunity will be a great way to measure when his team is as it prepares for its season opener.
“I was a little concerned tonight. I thought our conditioning maybe showed a little bit, or lack of,” Schaefer said. “Now we played five quarters, and I thought some players looked great, but some of them still need some work.”
MSU will play host to former MSU assistant Elena Lovato and Arkansas-Fort Smith at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, in an exhibition game at Humphrey Coliseum. MSU will play Villanova at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, in the first round of the Maine Tipoff Tournament in Orono, Maine.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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