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State dials long distance to get 79-68 road win in Athens

3rupauk8_400x400by:Robbie Faulk•about 10 hours•

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Jerkaila Jordan (Photo by Mississippi State Athletics)

Mississippi State used a season-best afternoon from 3-point range and went on the road to take down Georgia 79-68 on Sunday afternoon.

The visiting Bulldogs made 11 3-pointers in the first half and hit a season-high 14 in the win. Despite averaging just 32% from long range this year, State made 48% in Athens. Eniya Russell was the key benefactor of soft pressure on the backcourt as she had 21 points in the win on 8-of-15 shooting, 4-of-9 makes from 3-point range and also nine assists and six rebounds.

Madina Okot finished with a double-double as she scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting with 12 rebounds. Jerkaila Jordan was relatively quiet with 11 points on just 3-of-10 shooting, but Jordan made both of her 3-pointers and finished with seven rebounds.

“The way (Russell and Jordan) came out and played together, it allows everyone else to see we have a special team,” coach Sam Purcell said on MSU’s radio broadcast postgame. “Every great team has a two-player combo. When those two are eating and playing the right way, the rest of our team is, too.”

First-half 3-point shooting sets the table for State

The tone was set by MSU in the first half when the Bulldogs made five 3-pointers in the first quarter to get out to a 19-14 lead. Eniya Russell and Destiney McPhaul hit four-straight between them to get the lead in the first quarter.

In the second, UGA cut the lead down to 24-23 but then State got hot again. Five-consecutive made 3-pointers from four different players gave MSU a 17-4 run to close out the half and a 41-27 advantage at the break.

UGA came out determined in the second half and the offense began to come for the home team. After closing the lead down to seven after the third quarter with a 20-point frame, UGA closed it down to four at 72-68 in the last 1:30. That’s when State came through with the final seven points and made four of the final five shots to seal the win.

MSU (15-3, 2-2 SEC) shot 28-of-58 (48%) from the field to go along with the great afternoon from long range. State did struggle from the free throw line making just 9-of-17 and had 17 turnovers that became 21 points for UGA.

The home team had just 24-of-67 shots go in and 7-of-19 3-pointers, but UGA was 13-of-14 from the foul line and had just nine turnovers. MSU won the rebounds 42-33, finished with seven blocked shots and had 17 assists.

Up Next

State is back on track after the tough 0-2 start to league play and the Bulldogs have back-to-back wins in tow. Now, MSU has to match up with a very good Tennessee team on the road. The Lady Vols (14-2, 2-2 SEC) are No. 16 in the country heading into Thursday night’s showdown in Knoxville (6 p.m. SEC Network).

“They’re going to have a great scout. It’s going to be electric,” Purcell said of UT. “I’m excited about the journey. We have great opportunities to go on the road Thursday and then Sunday against Ole Miss.”

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