STARKVILLE – Mississippi State forward Kharyssa Richardson was making the most of a rare start for the Bulldogs on Thursday, and had her team right back in the game against No. 20 Tennessee with a jumper to open the fourth quarter. Her shot started a quick run of six points to cut the deficit to five points.
“I would just say based off how I’ve been practicing, me and Coach Sam, we’ve been shooting every day before practice, before shootaround,” Richardson said when asked about her big night. “Just getting those shots up. Everything that I made today, I’ve been working on and practicing, and also defense carrying over to offense.”
Richardson and freshman Madison Francis were the joint top scorers for MSU with 22 points each, and were at the heart of MSU’s comeback attempt. The Vols had led by as much as 18 just minutes earlier, but the Bulldogs found life heading into the final frame.
Unfortunately for them, it didn’t last. Tennessee’s scorers got going again and had restored a double-digit advantage with just over three minutes to play. The inconsistency on defense and the inability to prevent easy buckets came back to bite the Bulldogs as they lost 90-80, losing their second straight.
“If you look at that first quarter, I thought it was crucial,” head coach Sam Purcell said. “We had a great scout, great game plan, but we didn’t talk on ball screens, where their largest quarter was that first quarter. We’re going to watch back and go ‘dang, we need to be more vocal.’ Give them credit, top to bottom, they’re as good as anybody in the country with athleticism. You can’t let those athletic kids turn the corner for wide open layups, and we did.”
The Bulldogs (14-3, 1-2 SEC) let up 90 points for the second game in a row. The Vols shot 40% from beyond the arc in the first half with six triples, taking a 47-37 advantage into the locker room at halftime and coming out with another 23 points in the third quarter. Tennessee looked to be pulling away for a big win in the middle of the third frame, leading 66-48 at the 3:46 mark before the Bulldogs found a new gear.
Purcell’s focus on the opening stages reflected his takeaways from the loss at Oklahoma last weekend, which saw the Bulldogs fall behind 21-8 in the first frame of an ugly 95-47 loss. The first quarter was much closer on Thursday, with the Vols leading 26-19, but the early offensive momentum would carry the visitors throughout the matchup.
“Sometimes you’ve got to tip the hat,” Purcell said.
He gave credit where it was due to the Vols’ high-scoring starters. Freshman Mia Pauldo posted 26 on 8-12 shooting, Janiah Barker had 18 and Talaysi Cooper and Zee Spearman added 14 each. It wasn’t all easy buckets, several big shots through contact and well-guarded three pointers helped to sink the Bulldogs, too. MSU’s shooters produced as well, but the head start for the Vols proved costly.
“Janiah Barker, who is a pro, gets a fadeaway. I think it’s 65-70 and a tough shot where we’re all up on her, switching, trying to wear them out. But sometimes you’ve just got to tip your hats for making big plays. What got us in trouble is, with a team like that, you can’t let them have a lead. The first quarter is what got us. The 26 we gave up, it’s going to eat my team up. As energized as we were in a great practice, you can’t have those slip-ups.”
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