Mississippi State did well to stay close with No. 1 South Carolina for as long as the Bulldogs did, but the Gamecocks began to take control late in the first quarter and pulled away in the second half for an 85-66 victory, dropping MSU to 0-2 in Southeastern Conference play.
The Bulldogs (13-4, 0-2) started off strong offensively, with guards Lauren Park-Lane and Jerkaila Jordan finding good looks in the paint to help MSU build a 15-10 lead after six minutes. Park-Lane and Jordan were able to score inside despite South Carolina’s size, but the Gamecocks neutralized the Bulldogs’ starting post players, Jessika Carter and Erynn Barnum, holding them to a combined 3-for-15 shooting.
South Carolina (14-0, 2-0) dominated the middle portion of the game, and as usual, the Gamecocks relied on a balanced offensive attack. Bree Hall led the hosts with 15 points, making three of four attempts from 3-point range, while Kamilla Cardoso filled the box score with 13 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Jordan led all scorers with 25 points, but for the second straight game, she struggled mightily from beyond the arc — both Jordan and Debreasha Powe finished 1-for-6 from deep, and MSU as a team was just 3-for-19. Park-Lane was also in double figures, with 14 points on 6-for-11 from the floor. The Bulldogs scored 40 of their 66 points in the paint, largely due to their struggles to find any rhythm from outside.
MSU is back in action Thursday at Arkansas in what will be a homecoming game for Barnum, who spent four years with the Razorbacks before transferring to State last spring. Arkansas (13-4, 1-1) fell to Kentucky in its SEC opener but will be coming off a blowout win over Georgia.
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