Following a home loss to Kentucky in which Mississippi State was outscored 24-5 in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs hit the road again for a matchup with Alabama on Sunday inside Coleman Coliseum.
The Crimson Tide (20-8, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) picked up a big neutral-site win in non-conference play against Louisville and have turned it on lately after starting 2-4 in the SEC. Alabama’s signature conference win came on Feb. 8 against Tennessee, when the Crimson Tide blitzed the Volunteers with 28 points in the third quarter en route to a 16-point victory.
Sarah Ashlee Barker leads Alabama with 16.6 points per game and had 34 in a win over Kentucky in late January and 26 in a victory last Sunday against Auburn. Aliyah Nye, formerly of Illinois, is the Tide’s 3-point specialist, shooting 43.2 percent from behind the arc and leading the SEC in 3-point makes per game by a healthy margin.
Jessica Timmons is the third Alabama player averaging double-digit scoring, with Loyal McQueen and Essence Cody rounding out the starting lineup. Cody, the Crimson Tide’s leading rebounder, is also among the most prolific shot blockers in the conference.
Alabama is one of five SEC teams allowing fewer than 60 points per game, and the key to the Crimson Tide’s defense is on the perimeter. Only undefeated and top-ranked South Carolina gives up a lower 3-point percentage among SEC teams than Alabama.
Here are three keys to victory for MSU (20-8, 7-6) as the Bulldogs try to snap their three-game losing streak.
Take care of the basketball
MSU turned the ball over nine times in the fourth quarter alone Thursday night against Kentucky, including seven turnovers in the last six minutes and change. That’s an easy way to blow a lead, and it’s not like the Wildcats were employing a full-court press on every possession. Jerkaila Jordan committed seven turnovers, while Mjracle Sheppard and Jessika Carter each turned it over four times. The Crimson Tide are better than Kentucky when it comes to forcing turnovers, so ball security is a must whether the Bulldogs have the lead late or not.
Pound the ball inside
With Alabama’s success guarding against the 3-pointer, MSU would be well-served to operate its offense in the paint. The more touches Carter and Erynn Barnum are able to get down low, the better. The Bulldogs tried to force that issue a little too much in Thursday night’s game, leading to some of those turnovers, but as long as the guards and wings are cautious with their entry passes, the post players should have room to operate.
Guard the 3-point line
MSU allowed Kentucky’s Saniah Tyler to come off the bench and go 6-for-8 from deep Thursday, including 4-for-4 in the first quarter. Apart from Tyler, the Wildcats did not shoot the ball well from outside, but with Nye’s propensity to heat up from long range, the Bulldogs need to make sure she is accounted for at all times.
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