Exciting home schedule headlines challenging SEC slate for Mississippi State
Vic Schaefer’s return to Starkville highlights a loaded down SEC slate for Mississippi State women’s basketball this year.
The Bulldogs will play eight exciting home games inside Humphrey Coliseum highlighted by Schaefer’s top 10 Texas Longhorns coming to town along with instate rival Ole Miss. Texas is one of two new SEC members and both of them will be coming to Starkville this year.
The reigning Big 12 Champions of Oklahoma will come to State on January 9 while Texas plays the final regular season home game on February 27. This will be the first time Schaefer has coached inside the Hump since beating Arkansas 92-83 in February 2020.
The Bulldogs will also host defending National Champions South Carolina to open the SEC home slate on January 5.
Road games are highlighted by a trip to Kentucky to start SEC play on January 2. The team will also go to LSU on February 2.
A major change to the schedule this year is the fact that there will be only one team on the schedule that the Bulldogs play twice instead of three as previously scheduled. This year that opponent will be Auburn as State will host former Bulldog Associate Head Coach Johnnie Harris and the Tigers and January 23 and travel to Auburn to close the regular season on March 2.
That means the Bulldogs’ only matchup against rival Ole Miss comes at the Hump on January 19.
State is coming off of back-to-back 20-win seasons under head coach Sam Purcell as he’s begun his career in Starkville. The first-time head coach led the Bulldogs back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018-19 when he produced a 22-11 mark and 9-7 finish in SEC play back in 2022-23.
The Bulldogs were one of the Last Four teams in the tournament and won a play-in game along with a first round matchup before falling in a 53-48 ball game to Notre Dame at South Bend, Ind.
Last year’s team finished 23-12, but the Bulldogs missed out on the NCAA Tournament. State did get a run to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament Quarterfinals and lost another road thriller in a 92-87 ball game at No. 1 seeded Penn State.
MSU returns just four players from last year’s team led by All-SEC candidate Jerkaila Jordan, two-year starter Debreasha Powe and young post players Quanirah Montague and Rocio Jimenez.
Full SEC Slate:
Thursday, January 2 – at Kentucky
Sunday, Jan. 5 – vs. South Carolina
Thursday, Jan. 9 – vs. Oklahoma
Sunday, Jan. 12 – at Georgia
Thursday, Jan. 16 – at Tennessee
Sunday, Jan. 19 – vs. Ole Miss
Thursday, Jan. 23 – vs. Auburn
Monday, Jan. 27 – at Missouri
Sunday, February 2 – at LSU
Thursday, Feb. 6 – vs. Arkansas
Sunday, Feb. 9 – vs. Alabama
Thursday, Feb. 13 – at Vanderbilt
Sunday, Feb. 16 – at Florida
Thursday, Feb. 23 – vs. Texas A&M
Sunday, Feb. 27 – vs. Texas
Thursday, March 2 – at Auburn
