STARKVILLE — The angled pass zipped from Victoria Vivians on the right wing to the right block.
Unfortunately, Chinwe Okorie wasn’t able to make the layup and complete the sequence that started with quick ball movement and an even quicker entry pass.
But Okorie’s missed shot early in the third quarter was one of only three Mississippi State post players failed to covert Thursday in an 82-49 victory against Florida at Humphrey Coliseum.
Buoyed by Teaira McCowan’s career-high 25 points and another 13 from Okorie, No. 4 MSU equaled its best start in program history at 18-0 and set a record for best start to Southeastern Conference play (4-0).
MSU will look to continue to execute on offense at 6 p.m. Monday when it plays host to Ole Miss.
Against Florida, McCowan led the way by going 12 of 13 from the field in 24 minutes. Okorie was 5 of 7 from the field on a night the Bulldogs had 22 assists, which was one shy of their season high.
The performance against Florida provided plenty of examples of how MSU has matured offensively. The Bulldogs’ willingness to make the extra pass, to feed the post a little more, and to avoid settling for perimeter jump shots has helped elevate the team’s field goal shooting percentage from 41.4 percent through 18 games last season to 46.8 percent this season. The 2016-17 percentage is the team’s highest in coach Vic Schaefer’s five seasons in Starkville.
Schaefer said the team’s experience — all five starters returned from a program-record 28-win season and a second trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in 2015-16 — and the feel individuals have developed from playing together have aided the Bulldogs’ maturation on offense.
“You have to remember there are not many high school players who have 6-7 (McCowan) or 6-5 (Okorie) on their team, or even a post player who can finish,” Schaefer said. “Teaching a guard to add to their game sometimes can take a while. There is an art to feeding the post.”
Okorie, who is averaging 9.8 points, and McCowan, who is averaging 7.2, have two fewer shots (227) than they did at this point last season. Their combined offensive production (17 points per game) is slightly better than last season (16.5).
Okorie’s field goal percentage was slightly better (59.4) at this point last season (58 this season), while McCowan has improved her shooting from 48.8 percentage to 55.2 percent.
As a team, MSU has 283 assists, which is 10 fewer than it had at this point last season. That number is even more impressive when you consider MSU played a much tougher non-conference schedule. Consider, too, that MSU has had 20 or more assists in a game four times this season compared to six in 36 games last season — none after an 80-55 victory against Arkansas on Jan. 10, 2016. Three of MSU’s 20-plus assist games — Southern California, Northwestern State, and Florida — have come in the last month.
Schaefer said part of MSU’s improvement on offense can be attributed to the passing drills the team does in practice.
“We typically work two to three times a week with what we call triangle passes and teaching those posts to give us both numbers,” Schaefer said. “If our guards can see both numbers, we have a chance to feed you the ball. Unlike a lot of teams where you have maybe a finesse player, like (former MSU center) Martha (Alwal), or maybe somebody that is only 6-2 that is maybe quicker than a 6-4, 6-5, with these two you want them to pin as deep as you can pin. Don’t try to play in the mid-post. You go get as deep as you can get on ball reversal and then you can just turn around and lay it over the front. I think that is the timing piece, the understanding, the footwork that is necessary.”
MSU has shown greater patience in its half-court sets and a willingness to rotate the basketball to give its post players a chance to work deeper into the lane. Okorie and McCowan have attempted 20.3 percent of MSU’s shots to date compared to 18.1 percent last season. The biggest difference is the Bulldogs have attempted 144 fewer shots and are only 10 assists shy of where they were in that category last season.
Senior point guard Morgan William said the development of the post players and their ability to get deeper position in the lane makes it easier on the guards because they don’t always have to be counted on to create off the dribble or to shoot. Instead, they can get a good passing angle or make a quick look on a ball reversal and find a teammate in the lane.
“We can drive and dish it down for an easy bucket and get an assist,” William said. “If they get double-teamed, they do a good job of throwing it out to our shooters, like Blair (Schaefer) and Torri (Vivians), and get easy buckets.”
Against Florida, MSU offered its best example of that execution at the start of the third quarter. William started the sequence by feeding Okorie for a layup. Although Okorie couldn’t convert Vivians’ pass on the next trip, William assisted on the next three baskets by Vivians, Dominique Dillingham, and McCowan. The final basket elicited a pumped fist from coach Schaefer on the sidelines.
MSU also showed a knack for throwing cross-court passes — two in the first quarter for assists — as well as lob passes into the post. In the second quarter, Schaefer had an assist on a patient possession. Chapel then delivered another angled pass that hit McCowan in the hand and enabled her to continue to make a move in rhythm to the rim. Plays like those are big reasons why MSU has joined No. 1 Connecticut as the last undefeated teams in NCAA Division I women’s basketball.
“Our post players did a great job catching some thread-the-needle type passes,” Schaefer said. “That is the first thing. Teaira and Chinwe have earned the trust of our team in knowing if they get the ball down low there is really high percentage that they are going to finish.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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