Mississippi State women’s basketball rebounded from their loss to Oklahoma with a 54-37 road win against UT Martin on Sunday.
The Bulldogs struggled shooting for much of the game, but a dominant 23-11 third quarter gave them the momentum and put some distance between them and their Ohio Valley Conference opponent.
“They’re good, and they’re committed to what they do,” Bulldogs coach Doug Novak said of the Skyhawks. “They did it to Virginia Tech and had that game close for a long time, but I thought in the third quarter we did a better job looking in, looking up and getting rid of the ball.
“Instead of holding it and trying to find the perfect decision, we just made the right one.”
Rickea Jackson once again led the Bulldogs in scoring, racking up 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range. The team shot just 32 percent from the field and took 33 shots from 3-point range, with 11 of their 19 field goals 3-pointers.
The Skyhawks were even worse, shooting 24 percent from the field, although they did make 4 of 10 3-pointers. The Bulldogs committed just 7 turnovers while forcing 15.
Myah Taylor led MSU with 6 assists and 4 steals, while Raven Farley grabbed a game-high 9 rebounds. Denae Carter blocked 5 shots for the Bulldogs, who led the Skyhawks 11-1 in that category.
The game plan was thrown a curveball when starting guard Anastasia Hayes went out with an injury. Hayes is part of a trio of guards, alongside JerKaila Jordan and Myah Taylor, who have been crucial for the Bulldogs this season, and her absence interrupted the flow.
Depth in general has become an issue for the Bulldogs after transfer exits and injuries early in the season, and with just a few days before back-to-back-to-back games in Starkville next weekend. Novak responded with a simple, “I think it’s day to day,” when asked about the injury problems heading into next week.
The Bulldogs will open the Mississippi State Classic at 2 p.m. Saturday against Troy at Humphrey Coliseum, followed by games Sunday against Jackson State and Monday against South Carolina State.
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