Mississippi State women’s basketball came up short after a tense overtime battle with Nebraska, losing its final game of the Puerto Rico Clasico, 73-65.
It seemed like there was everything to play for after true freshman Debreasha Powe forced overtime with a dramatic 3-pointer at the end of regulation.
It was the kind of energy Mississippi State needed after trailing throughout the contest, but it was stopped by an electric display from Cornhuskers guard Jaz Shelley.
Shelley ran the show for the Cornhuskers, putting up a remarkable 32 points and hitting 7 of 12 shots from 3-point range. She was the driving force in overtime, hitting three straight triples to ice the game and hand the Bulldogs their second loss of the season.
“Our emotions get the best of us when shots don’t go in,” Purcell said after the loss. “There’s a different vibe about us when they don’t capitalize on free throws, make layups. And we worked so hard, it’s just one of those nights we just didn’t finish, but with that all being said I’m so proud of my squad.”
“I absolutely love them, I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world, I’m just heartbroken because I know how badly they wanted this.”
The Bulldogs kept it close all game, with Nebraska unable to create real separation until overtime.
Both losses this season have been close losses, an encouraging jumping-off point and invaluable situational experiences, but Mississippi State needs to find the ability to close out games as SEC play approaches.
A key difference between the loss on Saturday and a lopsided win on Friday was the Bulldogs having to chase the game.
They failed to get out in front, and the Cornhuskers did well to take away scoring options. They were limited from range, and shots in and around the pain just didn’t fall for them.
“I think the biggest thing was just trying to find ways to get buckets,” Purcell said. “We played so hard against Georgetown, shots weren’t falling. We were trying to do a bunch of things because Nebraska was clogging the paint, but it just wouldn’t let Jess completely dominate the game, and they made us work on the perimeter.”
Purcell explained that he wanted to try and uplift the team after the loss, recognizing the frustration that came with the performance against a tough opponent. Nebraska may well have been the toughest opponent they’ll face until SEC play starts.
They still have a few weeks to work on their game, with another stretch of home games coming up before their next non-conference invitational in Tampa, Florida from Dec. 19-21.
The Bulldogs return home from Puerto Rico with a 5-2 record, and look forward to their next game against UL Monroe at The Hump on Nov. 29.
Mississippi State 67, Georgetown 32, Friday
Mississippi State dominated Georgetown in the opener of the Puerto Rico Clásico, with Sam Purcell’s squad pulling away in a 67-32 victory on Friday.
Things started slowly, and the coach said that he thinks they might all have been “a little sluggish” because they were up all night watching the Egg Bowl, but the Bulldogs adjusted well and used their defense to lead the offense and get a big win.
“It was awesome. It was unbelievable. I was proud of them, unbelievable effort. First quarter I felt like we were still at the pool at the hotel. We were a step behind, but credit to the team. Tonight was a night that shots didn’t go in, but they got after it on the defensive end.”
The slow start didn’t hold them back for long, and a 20-3 second quarter from the Bulldogs quickly turned the game from a close contest into a blowout.
The big performer on offense in the rout of the Hoyas once again was Jessika Carter, who delivered with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and a pair of offensive rebounds in her six total rebounds.
She was the only player in double digits, which highlighted the contributions of scorers off the bench and the effectiveness of sharing the ball and moving more quickly.
Purcell addressed the adjustments made between the quarters to get things going, and credited the high energy on defense as much as on offense for swinging the game in their favor.
“They’re a team that they struggle to score points at times,” Purcell said, “They’re going to go seven to eight passes within their offense. We started off slow to where I just didn’t like the vibe of my team. We weren’t coming out with the juice, it was taking too long, we were one shot and done.”
“I said to heck with this, let’s speed it up in our favor and get them out from going seven-eight. Because they weren’t looking to score the first three, and then when we were trapping and pressing right away, then the game changed.”
One big contributor in that adjustment was Ahlana Smith, a Puerto Rican national team player making her return. While she didn’t have a big presence on the scoresheet, her four assists spoke to her contributions outside of scoring, as did her energy and pressing on defense.
She got a big block on a 3-point attempt to end the first quarter, and it had a role in energizing the bench and the team as a whole going into their big second quarter.
“I’m so proud of her,” Purcell said. “I love her energy, I always say she’s my quarterback of the team. Obviously, she’s Puerto Rican, so to be back here is big for her. Her family is down here, so there is a lot of energy.”
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