STARKVILLE — Eight players were more than enough for Mississippi State on Friday night.
Even with starting guard Debreasha Powe out due to an injury, the Bulldogs closed out 2023 and the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 99-35 shellacking of Mississippi Valley State.
All eight available players had scored by the end of the first quarter, six finished in double figures and four recorded double-doubles — but none outdid Darrione Rogers, who started in place of Powe and finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for MSU’s first triple-double since Cynthia Hall in 2000.
“Debreasha, that’s our sister. We know how important she is to the team, so we don’t want to see her hurt,” Rogers said. “Anything I can do for this team, impact the game any type of way for us to get a win, that’s what I want to go out there and do.”
After eight days off following their win at Colorado State, the Bulldogs (13-2) were able to give their veteran leaders, Jessika Carter and Jerkaila Jordan, some additional rest with Southeastern Conference play on the horizon. Both were efficient — Jordan led all scorers with 17 points, knocking down four of her six 3-point attempts, while Carter, after returning from a brief injury scare in the second quarter, had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
But it was MSU’s role players who stole the show against the Delta Devils (1-11). Graduate transfer Erynn Barnum, after pulling down a season-best 13 rebounds against the Rams, topped that mark with 15 boards to go along with 15 points.
And the Bulldogs’ two little-used freshmen, Quinirah Montague and Jasmine Brown-Hagger, both reached double-digit points for the first time in their collegiate careers. Both played more than 20 minutes for the first time, and Montague filled the box score with 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks.
“They’re women of high character,” head coach Sam Purcell said. “They know they’re playing on a special team, and the only thing they’ve ever asked me is, ‘Hey, what can I do to maybe steal some minutes?’ They don’t complain about their role, and because of their attitude of gratitude but most importantly their work ethic, to see them have success makes me a happy coach.”
MSU led 34-5 after a quarter and just missed hitting the century mark for the second time this season. The Bulldogs held MVSU to 18.8 percent shooting, scored 29 points off of 20 Delta Devils turnovers and drew 25 fouls, leading to a season-high 38 free throw attempts.
Riding a five-game winning streak, MSU opens SEC play Thursday night against Vanderbilt at Humphrey Coliseum. The Commodores have one more non-conference game Sunday against Radford, but after winning just three SEC games a season ago, they currently sit at 12-1 with their only loss coming on the road against a North Carolina State team that has since risen to No. 3 in the AP Top 25.
After that comes a road trip to top-ranked South Carolina on Jan. 7, which will be televised nationally on ESPN. Purcell said she expects Powe to return for that matchup against the Gamecocks.
“I’m a lucky coach for a group of young women who are leaving it all on the line,” Purcell said. “Their best basketball is ahead of them.”
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