Anastasia Hayes scored 26 points, and JerKaila Jordan added 18 as the Mississippi State women’s basketball team won its third consecutive game, 70-65 over Auburn on Thursday night before a crowd of 1,924 in Auburn, Alabama.
It was another clutch performance after yet another setback for the Bulldogs, now 14-7 on the season and 5-4 in the Southeastern Conference.
Freshman Denae Carter, who had established herself as a vital presence inside, went down with a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear during the win against Texas A&M on Sunday. The return of Raven Farley and progression of Charlotte Kohl helped fill the gap in the first game without Carter, but it was the guard play that once again got the Bulldogs going on offense.
Anastasia Hayes has now scored at least 22 points in each of the three consecutive wins, taking over as the team’s primary scorer since Rickea Jackson went into the transfer portal. Against Auburn, sister Aislynn Hayes provided a crucial 9 points off the bench.
The game started slowly for the Bulldogs, and a few mental errors cost them possessions and points in the first half as they went into the break up only 29-28. An explosive third quarter gave them a 10-point lead going into the fourth, but Auburn did enough to stick around right until the end.
Time after time the Tigers pulled close, but right as it seemed momentum was going the other way the Bulldogs found the right shot.
State found the right shot often, as offensive efficiency was one of the key factors in the outcome. The Tigers took 17 more shots than the Bulldogs but made only two more. From 3-point range, each team took 13 shots, with Auburn making just two to Mississippi State’s seven.
The Tigers also struggled from the free throw line, making just 13 of 25 while the Bulldogs hit 17 of 27.
After the game, interim head coach Doug Novak was asked about any improvement in team chemistry, and again he credited the work ethic of this group to continue growing and adapting.
“I don’t know; it’s hard to say with that kind of stuff,” Novak said about team chemistry. “But here’s what I do know: Our practices are better, we’re enjoying each other better, we’re more efficient, we talk to each other better, we’re building each other up, and it’s a fun place to go to work.
It’s a fun place to go and grow this team. We have goosebump moments in practice as well as games.
“There has to be some sort of reward for your labor, and I think we’re getting it. It makes us run more efficient practices, and it’s just more joyful to be around.”
The Bulldogs return home for a Feb. 10 game against Florida, followed by another game at Humphrey Coliseum when Ole Miss visits Starkville on Feb. 13.
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