Vic Schaefer sounded tired.
After guiding the Mississippi State women’s basketball team to three wins in three days in Puerto Rico, Schaefer was nestled in his seat for the final two-plus hours of a bus ride back to Starkville. But Schaefer had one more task to address before he could exhale and enjoy the holiday break. It didn’t involve anything to do with Christmas shopping, but it might have been more challenging than fighting bargain-hunting shoppers in a packed department store.
Schaefer’s final challenge was to answer this question: How do you feel about your team, which is 11-1 and ranked No. 8 in the nation?
Schaefer started by saying he felt awfully proud of his team — and justifiably so — for being 11-1 and beating Florida Gulf Coast, Western Michigan, and SMU to win the Puerto Rico Classic. He then listed several things — free throw shooting, defensive issues, cold shooting in the second half of games — that plagued the Bulldogs on the trip.
That’s when Schaefer offered a glimpse into the mind of a coach.
“I still don’t know how good we are,” Schaefer said. “Part of that is me being a coach and being paranoid because we still have a really young team.”
If it’s safe to call Schaefer “old school,” then it’s OK he still feels “paranoid” about a team whose top four scorers are in their first or second year of eligibility in the program. Schaefer highlighted that point by offering an anecdote he shared with his team in Puerto Rico. He said he asked his players how many times in their high school careers they had to get up for a game that they knew was going to go down to the wire. Two, three, or maybe four times? Schaefer’s point was that many of his players are still figuring out how to be ready for an opponent’s best shot every night, which is why consistency is one of his concerns with two games remaining before the start of Southeastern Conference play.
“I want to see us become more consistent,” Schaefer said. “I want to see us become a better defensive team for four quarters. I want to see us become a better offensive team in the fourth quarter.”
Schaefer praised the play of sophomore Victoria Vivians, who was named SEC Player of the Week for her contributions in Puerto Rico. Despite scoring 15, 15, and 18 points in the wins, much of Vivians’ production came in the first half of games. Schaefer mentioned Vivians’ 1-of-10 showing in the second half Monday in a 72-70 victory against SMU. Vivians’ only field goal in the final 20 minutes was a layup off a steal that Schaefer said the Bulldogs needed because they were “dying on the vine.”
While Vivians, the team’s leading scorer at 18.3 points per game, leads the team in steals, Schaefer said he wants to see the 6-foot-1 standout be more aggressive and to take the ball to the basket. At this time last season, Vivians was shooting 37 percent from the field and had taken 79 3-pointers and 55 free throws. This season, Vivians is shooting 41.6 percent from the field and has attempted 94 3-pointers and 24 free throws. She is first in the league in 3-pointers made per game (2.8) and ninth in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage (35.1).
Schaefer said Vivians is “settling” a lot for perimeter jumpers, even if she is working more mid-range shots into her game. Despite those numbers, MSU is second in the SEC in scoring (82.9 ppg.) and is third in scoring defense (51.6 ppg.).
If those statistics aren’t enough to make a coach feel comfortable, Schaefer can point to the play of junior forward Ketara Chapel, who has scored in double figures in four-straight games for the first time in her career. As a result, Chapel, who was scoring less than three points a game, is up to 6.5 ppg. and is shooting 62.3 percent from the field.
“(Since the game against Louisiana Tech) she has been on a tear,” Schaefer said. “She is not only doing what she does well, which is defense and being a real cerebral player and all of that, but she is rebounding and shooting the ball well. She is making the 15-footer that she needs to make, and is just doing a good job. … She just has a new confidence level that I recruited. I recruited that kid. I recruited that confident kid.”
Schaefer also praised contributions from centers Chinwe Okorie and Teaira McCowan and point guards Morgan William, who took seven charges against SMU, and Jazzmun Holmes. The sophomore-freshman tandem at the point is a key reason why MSU is first in assist-to-turnover ratio (11.0) and third in assists (18.2) in the SEC.
Still, Schaefer lamented his team’s 8-of-22 showing from the free-throw line that nearly cost it a victory against SMU. Two years ago, though, MSU might not have been able to find a way to overcome those struggles. On the third game in three days and without Dominique Dillingham due to foul trouble, MSU survived against SMU. As difficult as it might be to assess MSU’s progression and to determine how it compares to the rest of the top 10, it’s hard to quibble with one loss in 12 games. Tired and eager to get home after a long trip, Schaefer tried, but it was easy to come back to the record.
“I think a lot has happened that has given us a chance to see who we are and how we would respond,” Schaefer said. “The bottom line is we have responded to the tune of 11-1 so far.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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 40 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 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
