STARKVILLE — The screams of thousands of students from across Mississippi filled Humphrey Coliseum on Wednesday morning, ready to see Mississippi State women’s basketball in action.
Education Day was back for the Bulldogs, and they put on a clinic for the crowd of nearly 6,500, easily taking care of business against New Orleans.
A 21-4 first quarter lead ballooned up to 43-10 by half, and at the final buzzer, Mississippi State had its largest win in the Sam Purcell era, an 87-26 blowout victory over the Privateers, the lowest point total the Bulldogs have allowed since November 2015.
“That’s what a kids’ game does for the youth, giving back to the next generation, and I couldn’t even talk,” Purcell said. “I was just enjoying it. … We just might have had an opportunity where you had a young female watching our females and got inspired to play basketball who’s never played.”
Headlining the day was Bulldogs (4-0) senior guard JerKaila Jordan, who going into the fourth quarter had outscored New Orleans herself in just 24 minutes played.
It took until the 5:16 mark of the fourth quarter for the Privateers to surpass Jordan’s 24-point performance, her second 20-point game of the season. But Jordan’s focus was on more than just her offensive output.
“Our biggest focus going out there was holding them to the lowest number of points they could possibly get,” Jordan said. “… I know for me, I focused more on my defensive side. … Just trying to be more consistent out of the gate and being whatever kind of player my team needs.”
Along with those 24 points, Jordan recorded five steals, five rebounds, three blocks and two assists, finishing with a plus-minus of +45.
“Her defense created offense,” Purcell said. “… She plays the game hard. She doesn’t have to get her number called. She creates her own number and that’s why she’s having a season like no other.”
The best defense in the Southeastern Conference showed up once again, as the Bulldogs allowed 17.2 percent shooting from the field and 1-of-16 (6.3 percent) from beyond the arc.
Team defense lead the way Wednesday, as the Bulldogs recorded 12 blocked shots, 13 steals and a dominant 54-31 advantage on the boards.
Four Mississippi State players finished in double-figures, including Jessika Carter, who added yet another double-double to her accolade-filled career.
“I keep saying it; we live in a society where it’s always about, ‘Me, me, me,’” Purcell said. “I don’t have that team.”
Purcell announced during his post-game presser that senior forward Ramani Parker will be out for the season following her injury suffered last Friday against Southeastern Louisiana, but Nyayongah Gony and Quanirah “Nir Nir” Montague ably filled in for Parker on Monday and will need to continue to step up moving forward.
“It’s been an adjustment because I so badly wanted to play with her,” Gony said. “As a team, that’s hard to overcome, but I know I can use it as an opportunity to play for her, play for both of us.”
The children were the story of Wednesday’s game and Mississippi State made sure to give them plenty to cheer about.
“I feel like we went out there, not only playing for each other, but we played for the kids,” Jordan said.
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