STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women’s basketball began the season with a win over Davidson on Monday, battling through a defensive game to pull away in the fourth quarter of action.
The Bulldogs were slow out of the gate, and struggled to find a rhythm in the first half. Freshmen Madison Francis and Jaylah Lampley offered a spark off the bench, and senior guard Destiney McPhaul found a shot from deep, but the visitors dominated in the paint and took advantage of MSU mistakes.
Davidson yielded 18 points in the paint in the first half and scored 12 points off Bulldog turnovers. Along with giveaways, the Bulldogs struggled with switching and defensive assignments, leading to some open layups for the visitors.
McPhaul led the game with 12 points in the first half, and needed much more from her teammates.
Kharyssa Richardson added six in the third, with Lampley, Francis and Favour Nwaedozi also adding buckets, but the Bulldogs kept only a narrow lead going into the final frame of action.
The visiting Wildcats featured several international players, including freshman Ines Garcia Monje from Spain and Charlise Dunn from Australia. The pair did well to keep up the scoring and help their team keep pace.
Another factor in the visitors sticking around was their free-throw efficiency. The Wildcats hit 85% from the line while the Bulldogs managed 68%.
In the end, the Bulldogs were able to pull away in the fourth quarter and win the game 66-57. McPhaul finished with 20 points, and was joined in double-digits by Lampley and Nwaedozi.
MSU is back in action on Friday against Georgia State at 11 a.m. in Humphrey Coliseum.
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