Nobody was writing any obituaries for Mississippi State after the Bulldogs dropped their first two Southeastern Conference games by a combined 50 points, but head coach Sam Purcell’s team had only been seriously tested a time or two in non-conference play, and time was already running out for a turnaround given the schedule ahead.
Turns out, Kentucky and South Carolina are both elite teams, and MSU is now fitting in nicely in the middle of the SEC. And every now and then, the Bulldogs can pick off a ranked foe, as they did last Thursday night against then-No. 10 Oklahoma at Humphrey Coliseum.
In that 81-77 win, veteran guard Jerkaila Jordan carried MSU with 24 points, half of which came in the fourth quarter. Jordan called out Purcell at halftime after the Bulldogs had let a double-digit lead nearly slip away in the second quarter, then took over down the stretch.
Always a streaky shooter, Jordan has realized she is at her best when driving into the lane and taking pull-up jumpers or fadeaways from between five and 15 feet. She attempted just two 3-pointers against the Sooners, instead picking her matchups and creating good scoring opportunities both on and off the ball.
MSU followed up that emotional win by going on the road and defeating Georgia 79-68. It was as close to a must-win as the Bulldogs will have in SEC play — Georgia is No. 136 in the NET rankings, lowest in the conference — but MSU showed it can win games in multiple ways and without its biggest star playing the lead role.
With Debreasha Powe struggling upon her return from a foot injury, the Bulldogs were not exactly scorching hot from 3-point range in their first three SEC games. But MSU took advantage of Georgia’s poor perimeter defense and torched UGA from behind the arc. Powe, Jordan, Eniya Russell, Destiney McPhaul and Chandler Prater were a combined 13-for-24 from distance as MSU withstood every Georgia rally.
Just like last season, the Bulldogs have quickly evened their conference record after an 0-2 start. Those two losses came to Wildcats and Gamecocks teams that are both 4-0 in SEC play, and this week pits MSU against two of the other four teams bunched up in the middle at 2-2.
The Bulldogs are at No. 15 Tennessee on Thursday night before coming back home to face rival Ole Miss on Sunday. The Volunteers, who force the second-most turnovers per game in the country, will be a tough matchup, but if MSU can split these two games, the Bulldogs will be back in good position for an NCAA Tournament bid.
— Benjamin Rosenberg
Cam Matthews ties the room together
Mississippi State forward Cam Matthews balled out against Kentucky.
He joined a long line of Bulldogs who have stood out in close losses against the Wildcats, a series that continues to be a one-sided matchup, highlighting a stat sheet that featured five Bulldogs in double-digits and two more on eight points as the Bulldogs fell, 95-90, in yet another painful loss to the Wildcats.
Matthews posted season-highs for points (19), field goals made and attempted (6-for-11) and 3-pointers (2-for-3) from beyond the arc. He also added 10 boards to complete his first double-double of the season.
It was a remarkable showing from the graduate senior, who has been a key member at the heart of Chris Jans’ team for three years now. He isn’t the star of the team, but he is exactly what he needs to be. He is a defensive force, he is a leader on both ends of the floor, and he is someone who steps up when the rest of the team is struggling. All of those qualities were on display at The Hump on Saturday, making it all the more painful when the buzzer sounded to signal another loss to the team the Bulldogs just can’t beat.
It’s more than likely that loss won’t be the last one of the season to sting for State fans, but there is an undeniable positivity around the team even as it braves an SEC gauntlet with Auburn, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Alabama on the horizon.
The reason why is because of guys like Cam Matthews.
The Bulldogs have more than 8.7 points per game, or even a 19-point performance can show.
In Matthews, the Bulldogs have someone who can give it right back when someone starts talking, who will show no fear whether the deficit is two points or 30, and who will make you regret driving into the paint, who will get the crowd going with a reverse jam. They have someone who has that “dog” in him, and to make 2025 a special year, they’ll see a few more special Cam Matthews performances.
— Colin Damms
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