STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women’s basketball lost its fourth straight SEC game on Thursday, falling to No. 5 Vanderbilt at home.
The Bulldogs (14-5, 1-4 SEC) had the unbeaten Commodores on upset alert through the first 27 minutes of action, but a late offensive surge saw the visitors improve to 18-0.
The Bulldogs held their own for much of the game, and only trailed by one at halftime as the Commodores beat the buzzer for a 36-35 advantage at the break. Madison Francis and Kharyssa Richardson came to life down low to start turning misses into hits on the glass, and they helped MSU earn a lead early in the second half.
The Bulldogs led by four at one point, but it wasn’t long before the visitors took the game with a strong grip. A 14-2 run over the final two minutes of the third quarter gave Vandy a 66-55 lead going into the final frame, and within just three more minutes of play, they had 77 on the board.
The Bulldogs kept the distance at around 10 points with a pair of threes from freshman Jaylah Lampley, and a timeout saw MSU regroup and cut it back down to 77-73, and even made a last minute push, but the Commodores pulled away for the win.
Vanderbilt’s star scorer Mikayla Blakes finished with a game-high 38 points, showing why she’s one of the top scorers in the country. Francis led the Bulldogs with 15, one of five MSU players to score double digits.
MSU has another Top 10 matchup set against No. 7 Kentucky at home on Sunday at 2 p.m.
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