STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women’s basketball head coach Sam Purcell wanted to see a four quarter team on Thursday, and his Bulldogs did just about that in a big win over Pittsburgh.

Almost. The job was all but wrapped up at halftime, and a 28-point third quarter sealed the deal.

The Bulldogs, 8-1 on the season, pounded the Panthers 79-44 in the SEC/ACC Challenge matchup at Humphrey Coliseum, led by a dominant defensive display and lights-out shooting from senior guard Destiney McPhaul. Her 22 points led the way on the offensive end of the floor, followed by Favour Nwaedozi with 14 and Madison Francis with 10. Francis added 10 rebounds to make it a double-double on the night.

MSU’s shooting was hot from the start of the contest, taking the first quarter 20-8 thanks to a 13-2 run over the final few minutes of the opening frame. The second quarter was even stronger, a 22-6 quarter that saw the team take a 28-point advantage into halftime.

The Panthers put in some work in the second half to make the scoreline more respectable, and the fourth quarter saw the visitors go on a 16-0 run. It was far too late to make a real impact on the contest, but it was enough to prevent the Bulldogs from a runaway score in the 80s or 90s.

MSU is back in action at home on Sunday against Charlotte at 7 p.m.