Quick start doesn't hold as No. 2 South Carolina dominates State, 95-68
A first half scare from Mississippi State was eradicated by Dawn Staley’s No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks as the visitors turned a double-digit lead around and ran off with a 95-68 win.
Mississippi State had an 11-point lead midway through the second quarter before the game shifted. South Carolina outscored the Bulldogs 19-2 in the final 5 minutes of the second to get the lead and push it out to 42-34 at the half. The Gamecocks never looked back from there.
“The teams that we’re playing in the first month have a lot of returned experience,” coach Sam Purcell said. “We were talking about the tone that we needed in the second quarter when we feel them coming that you’ve got to collectively understand that we need to have a demeanor about us to stay on their necks when we’ve got the lead. Hopefully we learn from this (Sunday).”
Gamecocks get hot, Bulldogs get sloppy
After starting the game relatively cold from the field, South Carolina finished red hot with a 54% clip (35-of-65) and making 10-of-21 3-pointers after starting 0-of-5 from long range. The Bulldogs shot 47% (27-of-58) from the field and made 4-of-11 with just one made three after the first quarter.
The defending national champions outscored the Bulldogs 29-12 in the second quarter and 26-11 in the third to earn the rout. The Gamecocks (13-1, 2-0 SEC) had 20 points from Tessa Johnson with 4-of-6 makes from 3-point range. Chloe Kitts had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Te-Hina PaoPao finished with 15 points, five assists and four rebounds and Joyce Edwards had 10 points.
For the Bulldogs (13-3, 0-2 SEC), Jerkaila Jordan had 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting with six rebounds. Destiney McPhaul had 14 points off the bench and Eniya Russell had 12 points.
“South Carolina is a team where the next five (players) they sub in can be starters on any team and I believe it’s the same for us,” McPhaul said. “It’s all about coming in with fresh legs, giving energy and trusting my teammates.”
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It was a solid first punch for the Bulldogs out of the gates, but the team played too careless to pull off a top 10 upset. A persistent problem for State all year, 20 turnovers were cashed in for 23 points for the Gamecocks. MSU forced just nine turnovers and scored six points off of those.
“You can’t have seven turnovers in one quarter,” Purcell said. “We value the ball and have done so good, but we had some dagger turnovers that allowed them to get some easy transition opportunities and the next thing you know, they’ve got the lead. That’s where the momentum changed.”
The Bulldogs held their own on the boards but gave way to the Gamecocks with a 33-30 disadvantage rebounding. State was outscored 41-23 from the bench with just eight assists while the Gamecocks had 20 assists in the game.
Up Next
The road isn’t much easier for State this week. The Bulldogs will welcome in last year’s Big 12 Champions as the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners come to Starkville for the first time since joining the SEC.
Game time on Thursday night is set for SEC Network +.
“I think we showed in the first quarter when you get a 22-13 lead on the number two team in the country that you have the pieces,” Purcell said. “Now it’s just about making sure that they handle it. You’ve got to make sure that how we learn from this defines our mindset and focusing on self-improvement. If everyone can have that mindset, the team gets better.”
