STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women’s basketball will play against a ranked opponent for the seventh straight game today when it faces No. 17 Tennessee in Knoxville.
It will be the second meeting between the two teams this month, with the Vols picking up a 90-80 win against the Bulldogs in Starkville three weeks ago.
The stretch has seen the Bulldogs fall to 15-6 on the season, 2-5 in SEC play, but it hasn’t been the dreadful experience one might think by looking at it on paper. One look at the SEC standings shows that it’s simply the reality of playing in the conference.
“That’s why I’m trying to give the perspective of what’s up,” MSU head coach Sam Purcell said. “Don’t lose sight of who we’re playing, we all signed up for this when we came to play in the SEC.”
All 10 teams ahead of MSU in the standings are ranked in the Top 25, and MSU still has to play a few more of them. Purcell has kept that in context with his team’s losses, including after the recent narrow road loss to Alabama, and he is pushing for his team to grow from the experience rather than shy away from the reality.
“We’re possibly playing two Final Four teams, probably two Elite Eight, four Sweet Sixteens… it’s crazy, right? So learn from it, grow from it. That starts with me. If I go in there throwing basketballs, punching walls and taking clothes away like the old model… Why? We’re playing tough competition and competing. We’ve just got to learn from an inexperienced group what it takes to win these Top-25 games night in and night out. Right now, we’ve shown we can do it at home, but we’ve got to find an identity and continue to get one on the road.”
The Bulldogs fell short of the mark in the fourth quarter at No. 23 Alabama on Sunday, leading 60-56 at the start of the final frame but losing 85-78 after a 29-point surge by the Crimson Tide, fuelled by Jessica Timmons and Karly Weathers.
While the ending left a lot for his team to learn from, MSU head coach Sam Purcell saw it as another step toward the goal of scoring a signature road victory.
“Obviously, we didn’t start well, but to come back and be in that game, have the lead, lose the lead, come back again… it was the toughness that we talked about, that we haven’t had at all on the road,” Purcell said.
The Bulldogs had by far their best showing away from home this season, but it wasn’t enough in the end as Alabama’s experience and scoring depth came through in the fourth quarter.
“Alabama took it to us those last five minutes, and that’s what I’m gonna talk to my young women, we’re young and inexperienced. I thought some of that came to life during the last five minutes, because (Bama) seized the momentum and we didn’t. We all hate losing, but you’ve got to learn from it.”
The way that Timmons and Weathers took over in the fourth quarter was a knockout blow at the time, but also serves as an example of what it takes to win close games.
Against Tennessee, a team that already took it to MSU offensively earlier in the season, Purcel will once again rely on his young frontcourt to continue growing into the season.
“It’s huge. That’s why I’m proud of both of them right now,” Purcell said of his players. “When you look at our season’s statistics, they’re doing it not only on points, they’re doing it on rebounds, blocks, all the hustle points… Kids get so much caught up in points, (but) what are you doing when you don’t score the ball?
Francis, recently named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year watchlist, posted a new career-best seven steals on Sunday, and again paired with Favour Nwaedozi to lead the team in scoring in the front court.
They’ve been reliable, tough players for the Bulldogs to lean on against more experienced opponents, and vitally, haven’t been discouraged by the challenge of playing against the best of the best in the SEC.
“That’s what I’m most proud about with those two, they are bought-in night in and night out,” Purcell continued. “They have some of the hardest jobs, but they wear a smile on their face. They take it with pride and that’s why we’re right there in these matchups, because of the effort and attitude they give night in and night out.”
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