STARKVILLE, miss. – The state of Mississippi needed something good to happen.
In a game against South Carolina No. 4 on Thursday night, the 21st Bulldogs had an opportunity to alleviate the frustrations caused by consecutive defeats to Alabama and Texas A&M. Ultimately, the Gamecocks were awesome and MSU had to wait for another chance to escape its recent stagnation.
The state dropped 75-52 to South Carolina. After a strong start to the game, the Bulldogs were dominated in the last three quarters, with MSU suffering their third straight loss – the program’s first straight three-game losing streak since the 2013 season. -14.
“Everything we planned, everything we practiced, we did not do,” said MSU owner Myah Taylor of Thursday’s defeat. “We did it in the first quarter. We left with energy and executed. We did what the game plan said. As the game progressed, we moved away from it.”
(SEE TAYLOR’S FULL POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE ABOVE VIDEO OR SEE THE FULL POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE OF MSU COACH NIKKI MCCRAY-PENSON BY CLICKING HERE
The loss reduced the state’s overall record to 8-5 and the Bulldogs to 3-4 in the Southeast Conference game. It is the first time in seven years that MSU’s SEC record has fallen below the 0.500 mark. South Carolina improved to 13-1 overall and 8-0 in the league.
At first, it looked like MSU might be on a path to upsetting Gamecocks. The Bulldogs led 11-10 after the first quarter of the game, Jessika Carter had four points and six rebounds in the first 10 minutes of action on the way to record a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. MSU would end up being led by the night by Rickea Jackson’s 15 points.
Things seemed to be going very well for the state. Even with the initial leadership, however, the State was showing signs of an offensive struggle. The Bulldogs shot just 25 percent as a team in the first period and were never really offensive all night.
“I thought we missed a lot of shots around the edge and we just have to finish them,” said state coach Nikki McCray-Penson. “There were some good shots, we just have to finish them. And there were some bad shots that we just launched and we can’t do that.”
While MSU was unable to drop the shots, South Carolina heated up. Gamecocks outnumbered Bulldogs by 26 to 12 in the second quarter, had a 36 to 23 lead in the break and MSU lost by double digits the rest of the way. South Carolina was led by the 19 points of point guard Zia Cooke when Gamecocks became the last opponent to disturb the Bulldogs.
The state has already lost four of its last six games. In one of the Bulldog’s two victories in this stretch, the rival at the Ole Miss Rebels stadium almost overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter. Certainly times have been difficult for MSU, there is no doubt. However, Bulldogs insist that better days will come if they manage to keep their heads down and work at it.
“We just have to move on (from Thursday’s loss) and grow from that,” said Taylor. “I know coaches will spend hours on end watching the movie, as they always do, so that we can watch it in practice (on Friday). We need to keep ourselves excited. There is still a lot of basketball to play.”
“We need to keep working,” added McCray-Penson. “It’s that simple.”
MSU will have a week to improve before it falls to the ground again. The Bulldogs return to action on February 4 with a 7pm home game against Tennessee.
Myah Taylor of Mississippi State No. 1 dribbles against South Carolina on Thursday night. Bulldogs fell to Gamecocks 75-52. (Photo courtesy of Mississippi State Athletics)
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