Kentucky WBB searches for second SEC win at Mississippi State

Kentucky women’s basketball is ready to put on its Sunday best.

The Wildcats (9-9; 1-5) will hit the road to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs (14-5; 3-3) at 1 p.m. on the SEC Network. In Kentucky’s most recent contest, the ‘Cats picked up their first SEC win of the season over Florida. Now, UK is aiming to start a streak.

Touched down in Starkville. 🛬

Tip off at 1 p.m. ET tomorrow.

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) January 22, 2023

“Hopefully, being able to win a game, just getting us over the hump — we can have a lot of confidence from here,” Head coach Kyra Elzy said after Kentucky’s win against Florida.

UK can be confident, but not cocky. If the ‘Cats overlook the Bulldogs, they’ll get bitten.

More about Mississippi State

While the Wildcats are hunting for a win streak, the Bulldogs simply want to extend theirs. Mississippi State has two-straight SEC victories, winning by an average margin of 15 points. A solid start for a new captain at the head of the ship.

Head coach Sam Purcell became the ninth head coach in Mississippi State women’s basketball history on March 12, 2022. Before joining the Bulldogs, Purcell assisted Jeff Walz at Louisville. In other words, he’s no stranger to playing with top talent and beating Kentucky.

Nevertheless, it’s difficult to ever get used to players like Jessika Carter. The 6-foot-5 redshirt senior averages 15.3 and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 57.6% from the field. Additionally, Carter has 50 blocks this season, fourth-most in the nation.

Every big needs their small. JerKaila Jordan records 11.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per outing. The 5-foot-9 junior is a threat from deep, connecting on 37.9% of her 3-point attempts this season.

Debreshea Powe is the middle ground between the two previous Bulldogs. Standing at 6-foot-1, Powe is a combo guard capable of anything. Powe contributes 10.6 points and 5.5 boards a night. Additionally, Powe leads the team from the charity stripe, shooting 88.5% from the free-throw line this year.

Keys for Kentucky WBB

Luckily for UK, Mississippi State isn’t the only program loaded with talent. Kentucky’s guards have transformed into an SEC staple recently. Jada Walker, Maddie Scherr and Robyn Benton combined for 66 points in the ‘Cats win over Florida.

The talented trio are the only players on UK averaging double-digit point totals. Elzy believes her backcourt players have found their groove.

“Our guards were super tough,” Elzy said following UK’s most recent victory. “They made big plays in the paint when we had to have them.“

The only player in the @SEC averaging at least 5.0 in three statistical categories this season… @madd1escherr.

She’s like that. 🙇‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/IKcbrFEGDb

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) January 20, 2023

Paint is the keyword. Kentucky dropped 38 paint points against the Gators, a massive increase from previous SEC contests. The change came at the right time. Kentucky shot a poor 2-16 from beyond the arc against Florida, leading to a 16-point deficit early in the game.

The Wildcats’ flexibility saved them, and Elzy knows it.

“We settled for some quick outside shots early,” Elzy said. “The big difference from this game versus earlier games. We just kept shooting 3s instead of finding another way to score.”

Although Kentucky’s first win in six SEC contests seemed sudden to fans, Elzy saw it coming. The team had planted seeds for weeks leading up to the game in Gainesville, Fla. They simply had to wait to reap the rewards.

“Even the games that we were losing, we continued to progress. It just was not showing up in the win-loss column. It’s good to see that some of our progression showed up in a win today,” Elzy said.

After a week off to progress further, Kentucky should be ready to stand paw-to-claw with the Bulldogs. The two teams will square off at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.