STARKVILLE — While the statistics from the No. 10 Mississippi State women’s basketball team’s 88-62 exhibition victory against Division II Arkansas-Fort Smith really didn’t matter, coach Vic Schaefer wasn’t very happy.
“We weren’t a very good offensive team,” Schaefer said. “There was no real energy in the gym. When you don’t have that, that is when you need your seniors to step up. We really played a lifeless game on offense. It’s a concern because all up and down the box, we had some numbers that were not very good.”
The Bulldogs scored the first 16 points and were never threatened by the Lady Lions, who are coached by former MSU assistant coach Elena Lovato.
“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, you have to play with energy,” MSU junior guard Morgan William said. “We didn’t attack. When the first jump shot didn’t fall, we just stood around and didn’t attack. We really can’t do that. Being aggressive is what makes us who we are. We usually outwork the other team like that.”
MSU used a clear height advantage to enjoy a plus-17 rebounding advantage. Full-court pressure helped force 31 turnovers Those strong numbers were offset by the porous night offensively.
“We really played well against UCLA (in a closed scrimmage last weekend),” Schaefer said. “You want that to carry over. We don’t have a lot of non-conference home games, so you really want to give the fans something to cling to, to come back for. Too many shots didn’t fall and too many shots that weren’t good shots.”
Chinwe Okorie and Teaira McCowan were a combined 11 of 18 from the field and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds.
A strong start on the defensive end ran the Bulldogs to a 20-4 advantage. The Bulldogs led 22-13 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, a 7-0 run fueled by William and Victoria Vivians helped push the lead to 20 points. As Fort Smith heated up, MSU cooled off. The Lady Lions stayed in the game in large part to a 10-of-24 night from 3-point range.
“We just have to find our comfort zone back on the court again,” Vivians said. “I think we will find that. Tonight, we just had a hard time getting into a rhythm. When some shots don’t go down, you can’t get discouraged. As teammates, you have to be there to pick the other players up around you.”
The Bulldogs hit 3 of 20 3-pointers and took 37 more shots than the visitors, making only 11 more.
McCowan had a team-high 15 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end. William was again solid at the point with 15 points, six assists, and two steals. Twelve players saw action.
Okorie had 17 points, while Vivians added 10.
“We had a couple of lapses on the defensive end and that was probably first game and all that,” William said. “We just need to keep doing the things we did well and keep improving on the things we didn’t. When everybody contributes, we can be a good offensive team. It’s just a matter of being patent and not rushing things.”
After advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the second time in program history last season, the Bulldogs have set higher expectations.
“The expectations are high,” Vivians said. “You just can’t get too high or too low based on one game. We have to keep fighting to earn our respect. The coaches expect us to go hard every night, regardless of the opponent.”
Schaefer has lined up his veteran squad with a road-heavy non-conference schedule. The grind starts with two games next week in the Maine Tipoff Classic. MSU will face Villanova at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
“There can’t be anything like an off night with our schedule,” Schaefer said. “I am just disappointed in our effort and our lack of detail. Those are things we can straighten out. I think everybody knows what to expect from this team and what we should be getting night in and night out.
“It’s going to be a grind, but I think we are looking forward to it.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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