Mississippi State women’s basketball suffered a heavy defeat on the road at No. 3 South Carolina on Thursday, its second straight defeat since a ranked road win over No. 17 Tennessee a week ago.
The Bulldogs, now 16-8 on the season and 3-7 in conference play, managed just 28 points through the first three quarters of action against the national finalists and three-time defending SEC champions at Colonial Life Arena. Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards posted 21 points for the Gamecocks on 8-11 shooting, one of five South Carolina players in double figures on the night, as the hosts coasted to victory over MSU.
Freshman Ayla McDowell followed closely with 16 points while Raven Johnson, Maddy McDaniel and former Bulldog Madina Okot each posted 10 on the scoresheet. The Gamecocks shot 54.8% from the floor as a team, and hit 42.9% from beyond the arc with six three-pointers to help boost the lead.
MSU struggled to sustain any kind of pressure over the second and third quarters on the road, shooting an abysmal 27.6% from the floor while committing 19 turnovers. Madison Francis led the Bulldogs with 12 points on 5-14 shooting while Kharyssa Richardson added 11 as the only two MSU players in double figures.
The contest was still close in the second quarter before a surge by the Gamecocks going into halftime, and the Bulldogs fell further behind in a third quarter where they managed just six points.
The 43-point loss is the second-worst defeat of the season for MSU, after a 95-47 defeat at Oklahoma on Jan. 4.
MSU is back in action against Georgia at Humphrey Coliseum next Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
