Rebels sweep season series against Bulldogs

Starkville Daily News

OXFORD – Earlier this week, Mississippi State coach Sam Purcell said his team learned from the last meeting with rival Ole Miss that it had to put it together for four quarters.

In the second meeting, the improvements didn't come.

The Bulldogs got handled in the fourth quarter by the Rebels of the first meeting at Humphrey Coliseum and lost by 11 points, MSU was never within single digits after the first quarter on Thursday. A 78- 63 loss meant the first time the Bulldogs have been swept by Ole Miss in the series since 2004.

“Welcome to the SEC,” Purcell said. “This league is an absolute beast top to bottom with great teams. Ole Miss is an NCAA Tournament team. I know they lost two in a row prior to this, but they're healthy and back.

They're dangerous because they're long and athletic.

“They believe in great defense and unfortunately, they were phenomenal on the offensive end. They found a way to make some unbelievable shots.”

For the second time in the series this year, State got out- played on every level. The Rebels have been one of the worst 3- point shooting teams in the league this year but knocked down 9- of- 19 from long range. Ole Miss averages 29% from 3- point range this year.

It was never really a game for the Bulldogs after they fell behind 9- 2 in the early going and never got closer than five points after that. The Rebels ran out to a 20- 8 lead after the first quarter in what was the second- straight game that MSU had fallen behind by double digits after the first frame.

That lead grew to 19 points in the second quarter before the Bulldogs were able to corral it a bit and closed the half down 41- 27. State couldn't get closer than 12 again and the Rebels built as large as a 23- point lead at 74- 51 in the fourth.

“That beginning for us was kind of uncharacteristic with a slow start in the first quarter,” Purcell said. “You've got to give credit to Ole Miss – they were ready. They came out and punched us in the face and from there we were in a dog fight.

“We didn't execute. We weren't talking, we weren't cutting and we weren't moving. We didn't execute for whatever reason.”

The Rebels were a blistering 50% from the field in the game hitting 29- of58 shots while the Bulldogs were 24- of- 58 for 41%. MSU missed its first five shots from 3- point range and didn't make one until the 2: 30 point of the fourth quarter finishing 2- of- 8.

State also lost the rebounding 38- 33 and had 11 turnovers to 13 for Ole Miss. The Rebels had 20 assists to State's 12.

Jessika Carter led the Bulldogs with 18 points on 7- of- 12 shooting and had four rebounds. It was her ninth- straight game in double figures as she's hit that threshold in every game this Southeastern Conference season. Ahlana Smith had 11 points and six rebounds while Asianae Johnson had 10 points on 5- of- 7 shooting. Jerkaila Jordan finished with seven points and 10 rebounds but only 1- of- 9 from the floor.

“I thought Jessika Carter was unbelievable again,” Purcell said. “They made us work for everything and it was just one of those nights we needed to get out in the open court. If we don't rebound, we don't win. We had to work for everything in the half court.”

The loss snapped a three- game winning streak for MSU and dropped the team to 15- 6 overall and 4- 4 in SEC play. Along with being the first time in nearly 20 years that State has lost both games in the season series, it was the first time since 1997 that MSU has lost both of those by double digits.

It's not getting any easier as the Bulldogs have to go on the road on Sunday as well and take on Georgia at 1 p. m. On February 4, MSU has to play one of the SEC's best teams in Tennessee at Humphrey Coliseum.