STARKVILLE — For more than 37 minutes, Sunday’s rivalry game was played entirely within a nine-point margin as neither Mississippi State nor Ole Miss could take control.
The Bulldogs never led by more than five; the Rebels could never go ahead by more than four. MSU had done well in the fourth quarter to control the paint and pull ahead down the stretch, but with two and a half minutes to go, point guard Lauren Park-Lane drove to the basket and kicked the ball out to Debreasha Powe in the left corner. Powe, the only player from Mississippi on the Bulldogs’ roster, drained a 3-pointer to finally give the hosts a comfortable lead.
Ole Miss, which made just one of 12 field goals in the final period, never scored again as MSU picked up a 69-57 victory.
“It means a lot to be able to pull off this win,” Powe said. “We wanted it, and I know I wanted it. I wanted to beat them bad. It’s a rivalry game, I’m from Mississippi, this is what we’ve always known. I’ve been a big Mississippi State fan, so for us to pull it off today, it’s a great feeling.”
The Bulldogs (15-4, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) scored 40 of their 69 points in the paint as Jessika Carter, who began SEC play with back-to-back uncharacteristically poor showings, had her second big game of the week with 23 points on 11-for-15 shooting. Carter’s 3-point play gave MSU the lead during a 9-0 run in the second quarter, and she kept coming up with big baskets as the Rebels’ Rita Igbokwe proved to be no match for her in the post.
But it was MSU’s other starting post player who was just as pivotal in helping turn the tide. Erynn Barnum had combined for seven points and eight rebounds in the Bulldogs’ first three conference games, then matched those totals Sunday, doing the bulk of her work in the fourth quarter with five points and four boards. Barnum helped MSU out-rebound Ole Miss 12-5 over the last 10 minutes after the Rebels (12-5, 2-2) previously held a 32-17 edge on the glass.
“I knew we needed a little extra help, so I was determined to do that for the team,” Barnum said. “It did a lot for my confidence today. I feel like I was everywhere. I was a well-rounded player today. It’s not all about points to me. I just want to come out and hustle and do what my team needs me to do, and I think I did that today.”
Ole Miss put its best defender, Madison Scott, on the Bulldogs’ leading scorer, Jerkaila Jordan — and for the most part it worked as Jordan was held to eight points, tied for her season low, on 2-for-11 from the floor. But the Rebels’ attention on Jordan helped Park-Lane make some big plays as the grad transfer finished with 13 points and eight assists. Freshman Mjracle Sheppard also was a key factor, making four of six field goals for eight points.
Marquesha Davis led Ole Miss with 19 points, but just six came in the second half as MSU’s defense clamped down on her.
“We know when it comes down to these close games, it’s going to (depend) on defense, not offense,” Park-Lane said. “We just kept harping, get a stop. Because that will carry into our offense, which it did tonight.”
MSU had been in a 3-point shooting funk since SEC play began, so the Bulldogs attempted just 10 shots from beyond the arc Sunday, their third-fewest in a game this season, and by emphasizing getting to the rim, they shot 50 percent overall. The defense, meanwhile, delivered late after allowing the Rebels to shoot 15-for-28 between the second and third quarters, holding Ole Miss scoreless for nearly six minutes to end the game.
Next up is another tough test at home with Tennessee visiting Humphrey Coliseum on Thursday night.
“Our kids are motivated,” MSU head coach Sam Purcell said. “This is a great win for our fans, it’s a great SEC win, but this can’t define the rest of our season. We have to remain hungry. We’ll celebrate tonight, but back to work tomorrow.”
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 24 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 24 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
Join the Discussion