Eniya Russell was listed as questionable on the injury report the night before Mississippi State’s game at Georgia on Sunday, and the updated report before tip-off designated her as a game-time decision.
Russell not only played, but was on the floor for nearly the entire game. In 38 minutes, she led MSU with 21 points and nine assists as the visitors rode a hot-shooting first half to a 79-68 victory at Stegman Coliseum in Athens.
“Every great team has a two-player combo, and we’ve got one too,” head coach Sam Purcell said, referring to Russell and Jerkaila Jordan. “That’s what I’m trying to help them understand, is both of them can eat. When those two are eating but they’re playing the right way, the rest of our team is too. That’s why I’m really excited about how we’re going to continue to gel and continue to move forward down the line.”
Georgia entered the day with the worst perimeter defense in the Southeastern Conference, and MSU (15-3, 2-2 SEC) took full advantage. Purcell’s team was 11-for-21 from 3-point range in the first half and connected on four in a row during a 14-0 run late in the second quarter.
Destiney McPhaul knocked down back-to-back 3s within a minute of each other in the first quarter, giving MSU a seven-point lead. Georgia (9-9, 1-3) used an 8-0 run to make it a one-point game in the second, but Chandler Prater hit a pair of 3-pointers sandwiched around one each from Russell and Jordan. Debreasha Powe nailed one of her own just before the buzzer to put MSU ahead 41-27 at halftime.
UGA battled back in the third quarter with another 8-0 run, but MSU managed to weather the storm. State made six shots in a row in a stretch that bridged the third and fourth quarters, with Russell and Powe connecting from behind the arc 29 seconds apart.
Madina Okot had scored a combined 14 points in MSU’s first three conference games, but she exploded for 19 Sunday on 8-for-11 shooting, adding 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.
MSU won its second straight game despite committing 17 turnovers, which Georgia turned into 21 points. State’s 14 made 3-pointers were a season high and tied for the most in a single game under Purcell.
The Bulldogs are back on the road Thursday night for a matchup with No. 16 Tennessee, which won by 30 points Sunday at Arkansas.
“I’ve got a bunch of baby Bulldogs who are now turning into grown women Bulldogs,” Purcell said. “They’re proud to wear this jersey and we’re going to keep on getting better.”
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