COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Mississippi State women’s basketball team set a school record for most consecutive road wins with a 79-64 victory over Missouri on Thursday in Columbia, Missouri.
The No. 13 Bulldogs (15-2, 3-0) led wire to wire in their third straight Southeastern Conference win, starting off their conference slate at 3-0.
“I am awfully proud of my team today,” head coach Vic Schaefer said in a news release from Mississippi State. “Give Missouri credit. They came out and competed like I knew they would. I just have so much respect for Robin Pingeton, her staff and that team.”
Freshman Rickea Jackson continued a hot stretch of play with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds for the Bulldogs.
Jackson credited her success Thursday to “just my teammates finding me,” she said. “They trust in me, and they know my game, and just personnel knowing each other.”
Graduate guard Jordan Danberry had another solid game, hitting eight of her 15 shots for 18 points. Danberry added four rebounds, three assists and four steals, continuing to fill her leadership position well.
“My role is just to lead them basically, to lead them in practice and things off the court because they’re talented,” Danberry said. “So just to make sure we take care of that mental piece and encouraging them to just play your game, and it’s okay if you make a mistake, just keep going.”
The Bulldogs were able to find success against a Missouri team that beat them in Starkville last season, jumping out to a 44-22 halftime lead.
“I am really proud of the way we came out and started the game,” Schaefer said. “It was a 9-2 run, and they had to call a timeout. I didn’t think we took our foot off the gas that entire first half.”
But the Bulldogs let the Tigers close the deficit a bit in a second half that didn’t please Schaefer. Missouri got the MSU lead down to 14 points twice in the fourth quarter.
“Just like most young teams, we can’t piece together four quarters,” he said. “I didn’t think we played hard the second half. Our young kids just can’t piece it together and understand the importance of doing it over and over again.”
All in all, though, it added up to a good-sized win for Schaefer’s squad in a place the Bulldogs have found tough to conquer in recent years.
“This has not been an easy place for us, y’all. Anybody that’s followed us through the course of time, this has been a Nightmare on Elm Street part 18. And so for us to come in here and play like we did tonight, I’m really proud of our kids.”
Mississippi State will host LSU (12-3, 2-1 SEC) at 7 p.m. next Thursday at Humphrey Coliseum.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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