Second half barrage leads Bulldogs again in 80-35 win over Jacksonville
A trend continued for Mississippi State women’s basketball on Sunday afternoon as the Bulldogs hit the road for the first time.
After another sluggish finish to a first half, State got yet another monster third quarter. State came out against Jacksonville and outscored the Dolphins 22-7 in the third on the way to rolling to a 80-35 at the WBCA Showcase at the Disney Wide World of Sports in Orlando.
“We got their best punch in the first half and when you have to give that much energy, there’s no energy left in the second half,” coach Sam Purcell said on postgame radio. “That’s when we get our separation.”
The Bulldogs took control out of the locker room after leading 32-19 at the break. State outscored the Dolphins 27-7 in the third quarter and poured on more in the fourth with a 21-9 frame.
As it has been in every game this season, the Bulldog defense was stifling. State held a Jacksonville team that scored over 70 points against Miami this year to just 35 points with single digit points in all four quarters. It was the sixth time in as many games that State has held its opponent to under 55 points and 30% shooting.
Jacksonville made just 10-of-53 shots (19%) and 1-of-18 from 3-point range (6%). The Bulldogs forced 18 turnovers and turned those into 21 points and they also outrebounded the Dolphins 57-27 with 20 second chance points.
State shot 45% from the field (30-of-66) and overcame an abysmal night at 3-point land with just 3-of-23 makes.
Nir Montague comes out with career-best game
37 of the Bulldogs’ bench points came from Quanirah Montague as she poured in a career-high 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting with seven rebounds in 14 minutes.
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“I just feel like defensively it was easy for me to run the floor so I can get a bucket,” Montague said. “We did well on defense and our defense gave me a chance to score on offense and get the lead.”
The posts as a whole found success in the game as Montague, Okot and Kayla Thomas combined for 32 points and 18 rebounds.
Okot scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and had seven rebounds. It continued to show State’s depth on the inside this season.
“I’ve got a rotation that’s like no other. Madina started it and then here comes Nir,” Purcell said. “For (Montague) to have a career high, I couldn’t be more excited. She’s special and is only a sophomore. Her best basketball is ahead of her, and I love that she lets me coach her hard. She’s the ultimate teammate.”
Jerkaila Jordan finished the night with her 13th double-double of her career as she scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting with 10 rebounds. Eniya Russell had 12 points on 5-of-10 with three rebounds and three assists.
