MSU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams hit the road for their first extended trips this season, traveling to Kansas City, Mo., and Lubbock, Tex., respectively, for early season nonconference tests. While the women held their own in a true road environment, the men struggled mightily in neutral site contests.
Lady Bulldogs squander early lead in Lubbock
Mississippi State women’s basketball suffered its first loss of the season on Thursday, failing to capitalize on a 31-point first quarter by scoring just 31 more points over the remaining three quarters in a 69-62 loss at Texas Tech.
The Bulldogs (4-1) jumped out to a 31-16 advantage after the first frame of action, capped by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Trayanna Crisp, but managed just two more points in the first half. They managed to play strong defense, maintaining a 33-31 halftime advantage, but it came at a cost. Chandler Prater, Kharyssa Richardson and Madison Francis were all in foul trouble early on in the second half, and Francis fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Crisp, who scored 10 points in the opening quarter, managed just two more points the rest of the way as the Red Raiders’ defense tightened its grip on the game.
Tech saw breakout second-half performances from Jalynn Bristow, who led the way with 18 points, Bailey Maupin and Snudda Collins, who provided 17 each.
“Our scout team is phenomenal, but (Texas Tech) has something going with Snudda Collins,” Purcell said of the Red Raider guard. “Collins’ length forces turnovers in the traps. We tried to mimic that, but one time we had a deadball baseline where the kid makes a play on an inbounds, and she goes and lays it up. The traps, it’s never over. We worked on it for five days, but when you feel like you need a bucket, you get emotional, that’s when they smell blood.”
MSU will return to action in the Emerald Coast Classic against Alcorn State in Florida on Monday.
Jans’ group throttled by Kansas State in K.C., drop close one to New Mexico
Mississippi State men’s basketball has faced two Big 12 opponents through four games this regular season, and has suffered mightily to keep up on both occasions.
On Thursday, Kansas State put the Bulldogs to the sword with a prolific 54-point second half, led by guard PJ Haggerty’s 37-point performance in a 98-77 throttling of MSU.
For the second time in as many weeks, MSU head coach Chris Jans sat down for a post-game interview with Neil Price and offered a somber analysis of a humbling performance.
“I don’t know,” Jans said with a tired voice when asked about the snowballing momentum. “We just weren’t the better team tonight. That’s the bottom line, they were better than us, and we didn’t play well enough for long enough spurts.”
The Wildcats thrived in transition, scoring 17 on fast breaks and 17 points off of turnovers. They also shot 46% from beyond the arc to help boost the scoring pace.
Jans emphasized the need to run against a team like the Wildcats, and stressed the point at halftime again when it was just an eight-point game, but the team talk didn’t appear to work against a K State team with a ruthless collection of players to set the pace.
“If you don’t sprint back against a team that pushes the ball, you’re gonna have a hard time. Especially when they got a guy like Hatterty and Nate Johnson, who are just bullies. Strong fullbacks playing basketball. They can get downhill and get momentum, and it’s hard if you’re not in the perfect position as you transition back to defense.”
With a Friday loss to New Mexico in the consolation game of the Hall of Fame Classic, the Bulldogs now sit at 2-3 heading into a home game against New Orleans on Monday before SMU visits on Black Friday.
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