Refreshed Bulldogs ready to work and start SEC play at No. 16 Kentucky
With a month spent playing away from Humphrey Coliseum including eight-straight games on the road or at a neutral site, Mississippi State’s women’s basketball team desperately needed a break.
The Bulldogs were performing well and finished that road trip 7-1 with the lone loss coming to No. 13 Georgia Tech on the road. Still, the signs of mental and physical fatigue were playing out in the last three games that State played.
Sam Purcell’s squad left a win at Maryland Eastern-Shore and went back home to their respective families. As they returned home, they went back to work on Sunday afternoon and took down South Carolina State 95-47.
“Us being able to go home for Christmas and spend time with our families was a reset in our minds and it was what we needed coming into SEC play,” Jerkaila Jordan said. “I was just glad everyone was able to go home and enjoy themselves, but now that we’re back at school it’s time to go back to work.”
Purcell definitely saw something in his team prior to Christmas that said it was time for a break.
It’s not all that uncommon for teams to start coasting ahead of the Holidays. The grind of the offseason and early part of the schedule can certainly be a drain and the Bulldogs showed it at moments in narrow wins against Belmont and Louisiana Monroe and then a sloppy performance at MES.
“We call it the Christmas game. It’s not an excuse, but it’s just reality,” Purcell said of the end of the road trip. “We start in the summer and go throughout the fall and the kids know they’re about to go home. There’s that mental component where you question where their mind is.
“You can’t deny the smile and joy that they’re coming back with and I thought you saw that (Sunday).”
Cleaning up turnovers a major key for Bulldogs in SEC play
The Bulldogs (13-1) certainly looked like a team ready to move into SEC play after the win on Sunday. State has put together the best start for the team since 2018-19 and now have a chance to make a statement over the next couple of weeks.
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Thursday’s SEC opener against No. 16 Kentucky represents the start of a gauntlet in conference play and the Bulldogs bring in one of the nation’s best defenses against UK. One thing that State has to clean up, however, are turnovers.
Through 14 games, MSU is averaging 79 points per game and dishing out 18 assists, but Purcell can’t help but wonder what would happen if the Bulldogs slowed down the turnovers. State averages 16.4 giveaways a game and it has hampered the team’s progress at times.
“The way we score is we really share the ball. But the way we also drive people to drink is the way we turn it over,” Purcell said. “We have those careless turnovers and I’ll continue to show the positives, but we’ve got to clean up the turnovers if we have a chance to win in SEC play.”
First up in the incredibly tough SEC will be the Wildcats on Thursday at 6 p.m. State has to go on the road to play a team that has traditionally been a thorn in the Bulldogs’ side even in lean years. This year, it’s a new look Wildcat team and they look the part of contenders.
Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks was hired in the offseason and has immediately made UK a tough team with the transfer portal. The No. 16 Cats have been strong on both side of the ball and bring an 11-1 mark to game one of the SEC slate.
The two teams clash in Lexington on Thursday night with the game being broadcasted on SEC Network +.
