MSU women trying to improve on offense without losing identity on defense

STARKVILLE — Defense always will be at the core of any team Vic Schaefer coaches.

Schaefer has built a reputation on his prowess as a defensive coach in stops at Arkansas and at Texas A&M, so he knows how to shut opponents down and what it takes on that end of the floor to win a national championship.

East Rankin Academy girls end Oak Hill Academy’s season

CLINTON — The rally was coming.

Oak Hill Academy girls basketball coach Brian Middleton called timeout after Anna Kathryn Childress hit two free throws to cut his team’s deficit to 18 points early in the third quarter. He was looking for anything he could use as a spark to help the Lady Raiders build momentum.

East Rankin Academy coach Rod Delaney sensed an opportunity for the tide to change, too.

Oak Hill Academy riding high after winning Class AA girls’ state title

WEST POINT — Don’t threaten Sarah Dill with punishment that involves running.

Hebron Christian rides challenging schedule to state tournament berths

PHEBA — Bruce Franks hoped a tougher schedule would pay dividends for the Hebron Christian girls and boys basketball teams.

Columbus Christian celebrates basketball state championship

STEENS — At this rate, the Columbus Christian Academy boys basketball team is going to need a trophy case all its own.

Victory Christian celebrates ACCA championship

The word rebuilding never entered the minds of Reed Fulgham or Chandler Honnoll.

Columbus boys win huge region showdown with Tupelo for title

HERNANDO — Luther Riley talked in May about bringing championships to Columbus High School when he arrived as the school’s new boys basketball coach.

MSU gets bounce-back win vs. Ole Miss

OXFORD — If ever there was a time for a bounce-back win, the No. 14 Mississippi State women’s basketball team needed one Sunday.

Fresh off the sting of an embarrassing 23-point loss to then-No. 16 Kentucky at Humphrey Coliseum, MSU turned to its biggest offensive weapon to provide a spark against its archrival. Victoria Vivians didn’t disappoint, scoring a game-high 22 points and adding a game-high 10 rebounds to lead MSU to a 60-51 victory against Ole Miss before a crowd of 4,411 at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.

MSU women look for bounce back at Ole Miss

STARKVILLE — If Makayla Epps says the Kentucky women’s basketball team remains a “work in progress,” you could argue MSU has even more work to do with three regular-season games remaining.

Columbus girls knock off South Panola for region crown

HERNANDO — Zaria Jenkins is going to do her best to document the Columbus High School girls basketball team’s road to Jackson.

No. 16 Kentucky women take it to No. 14 MSU

STARKVILLE — Makayla Epps couldn’t help but smile.

Unaccustomed to sitting on the bench in pivotal junctures, the Kentucky junior guard didn’t look worried or the least bit fazed that she wasn’t on the court in the third quarter helping her teammates in a big game against Mississippi State. In fact, Epps looked like she was having fun watching her teammates build what was a 10-point lead when she left the game into a 19-point cushion by the end of period.

MSU women have chance for defining victory tonight

STARKVILLE

A few weeks ago, ESPN.com’s Charlie Creme called the Mississippi State women’s basketball team’s 65-63 overtime victory against Tennessee a “season-saver.”

It didn’t matter that the win was MSU’s first in 37 meetings against Tennessee. Creme was more concerned about how the victory bolstered the Bulldogs’ resume for NCAA tournament consideration. As ESPN’s women’s basketball “bracketologist,” Creme believed the win solidified MSU’s standing to earn one of the top 16 seeds and a chance to play host to the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.

No. 14 MSU women get back to grind against No. 16 Kentucky

STARKVILLE — It’s time to get back to work.

The Mississippi State women’s basketball team had to wait until the middle of February to get its first break in marathon that is the Southeastern Conference season. Fresh off two-and-a-half days off earlier this week, No. 14 MSU (21-5, 8-4 SEC) will try to build momentum for the stretch run at 6 tonight (SEC Network) when it plays host to No. 16 Kentucky (17-6, 6-6) in its annual “Think Pink” game at Humphrey Coliseum. The game is designed to raise awareness for breast cancer research.

Brewer, Shaw play key roles in Columbus Christian’s title

STEENS — Sometimes you need a pick-me-up.

Coaches have a variety of methods they can turn to to find a spark for their teams. A popular, yet dreaded, technique is scheduling practices or training early in the morning so teams can get a lot of things accomplished.

Dorian Brewer and Dawson Shaw weren’t accustomed to practicing at 6 a.m. before the start of a school day. On many mornings, the Columbus Christian Academy juniors were still in bed at that hour. If they were up, they likely hadn’t rubbed the sleep from their eyes, let alone run laps or shot free throws.

No. 11 MSU women face big test at No. 15 Texas A&M

STARKVILLE — Vic Schaefer is big on players doing what they’re supposed to do.

The Mississippi State fourth-year head coach expects his players to bring maximum effort and intensity every day and to harass opponents with defensive performances that would make many cringe.

That formula has worked the past three years and has helped the Bulldogs climb back into the national conversation. In that stretch, particularly the past two seasons, MSU has moved to uncharted heights in the national rankings and in the Southeastern Conference by winning the games it is supposed to. A double-overtime loss to LSU and an overtime loss to Kentucky — both at home — are the only possible exceptions to that rule given how difficult it is to win on the road in the SEC, especially against ranked opponents.

Donahoe leaving Heritage Aca. for top job at Marshall Aca.

Barrett Donahoe’s journey to a master’s degree started in June 2013.

Prior to taking an official step to become certified to be an administrator, Donahoe worked with Heritage Academy Headmaster Dr. Greg Carlyle to handle as many administrative responsibilities as he could between his work as the school’s principal, athletic director, and football coach.

As much as Donahoe loves being a football coach, his decision to go back to school set the stage for him to realize an opportunity to be a full-time administrator at a school in Mississippi.

Player of Week: Rogers helps fuel success for Columbus Lady Falcons

Kayla Rogers never has considered herself a “big girl.”

No. 11 MSU finds way to beat No. 21 Missouri

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State women’s basketball team continues to find a way to get things done.

MSU coach Vic Schaefer will grant you the Bulldogs don’t always earn aesthetic points, but he usually loves the defense and the intensity his players bring to the court every game.

On Sunday, No. 11 MSU mixed defense and intensity with clutch plays by Victoria Vivians, Morgan William, and Dominique Dillingham to earn a 52-42 victory against No. 21 Missouri before a crowd of 4,521 at Humphrey Coliseum.

Dillingham sparks MSU’s victory with key defensive plays

STARKVILLE — Jordan Frericks knows the tape doesn’t lie, so she realizes the No. 11 Mississippi State women’s basketball team likes to take charges.

After playing MSU once earlier this season and watching more film of the Bulldogs for a refresher prior to Sunday’s matchup, Frericks felt No. 21 Missouri had a good game plan. The key was to go in low and under control against the Bulldogs’ aggressive defense.

But Dominique Dillingham has found a way to defy scouting reports. It doesn’t matter if you beat her off the dribble once because she is going to adjust and beat you to the spot next time and sacrifice her body to take the charge.

Schaefer wants Bulldogs to maintain attacking mind-set

STARKVILLE — You can almost sense Vic Schaefer cringe when he talks about his team’s defense.

If you look at the statistics, it would be difficult for you to tell there has been a drop-off in the Mississippi State’s women’s basketball team’s play. The Bulldogs are still second in the Southeastern Conference in scoring defense at 56.1 points per game.

But Schaefer, whose nickname is “the Secretary of Defense,” knows better. He also admits he has sacrificed some defensive drill work in practice to work on offense, just as he hinted he might do a few weeks ago.

While it might pain Schaefer’s trained eyes to notice the lack of execution on the finer points, he acknowledges there has been a benefit.

“The bottom line is you’ve got to score more points than the other team,” Schaefer said Friday. “We’ve spent a little more time on offense of late and I’d like to think that it has paid off a little bit.”

Schaefer hopes that work continues to pay dividends at 2 p.m. today when No. 11 MSU (20-4, 7-3 SEC) plays host to No. 21 Missouri (18-5, 5-5) at Humphrey Coliseum.