PREVIEW: #10 WBK Hoops at #1 South Carolina

Monday, January 20

Columbia, S.C.

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

#1 South Carolina

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

PREVIEW: #10 WBK Hoops at #1 South Carolina

January 19, 2020 | Women's Basketball

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by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 10 Mississippi State is set for a battle between top-10 teams Monday night, as the Bulldogs take on top-ranked South Carolina in Colonial Life Arena at 6 p.m. CT.

Both teams currently sit atop of the conference standings as the only two undefeated teams remaining during league play. State (16-2, 4-0 SEC) is coming off a 64-60 victory against LSU at home on Thursday night. MSU built an early lead in the game, but the Tigers fought back to get within striking distance. Mississippi State's defense held strong in the final minutes, though, to secure the win.

South Carolina (17-1, 5-0 SEC) climbed to the top of the AP Poll by winning 10 straight games heading into Monday's matchup, including four victories over top-25 teams. The Gamecocks enter the contest off a 78-45 win at Missouri on Thursday night.

"I'm excited about our opportunity to go on the road Monday night and play the number one team in the country," said head coach Vic Schaefer. "We played Stanford earlier in the year, and I think they were number three. They moved up to one after they had beaten us out in Canada. Now having to go on the road to a place where we're pretty familiar, I'm sure that Colonial Life Arena will be packed with Gamecock fans, and it's always a great atmosphere. We've grown accustomed to having some really tough battles with them. Obviously, head coach Dawn Staley does a great job with them. Her kids are playing at a really high level right now. We are about to play a team that is playing as well as anyone in the country right now. We're going to have to be ready.

"We're 4-0 and have a chance again to go on the road. This has become a really competitive series, and we're going to have to play really well on Monday night for it to continue. I know our kids will be ready. I'm excited to see us play in that environment and in that ballgame."

Fans can watch the game on ESPN2 with Beth Mowins on play-by-play and Debbie Antonelli as the analyst. The game will also be streamed on MSU Radio Network with Jason Crowder and Charlie Winfield on the call and can be streamed on HailState.com/plus and the Tune In app.

For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU women's basketball on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateWBK."

Storylines
• TAKING ON NUMBER 1: The last time Mississippi State played the No. 1 team in the country was the famous UConn game in the 2017 Final Four. Morgan William knocked down a shot as time expired to snap the Huskies' 111-game winning streak and sent the Bulldogs to their first of back-to-back National Championship appearances. The win over UConn marks State's only victory over the nation's top team in program history.
• ROAD WARRIORS: Mississippi State owns the nation's longest road winning streak at 14 games. This season, the Bulldogs own wins at Georgia, Marquette, Missouri, Louisiana and Jackson State.
• FUTURE STARS IN SEC: Monday's game features the two top freshmen classes in the SEC from the 2019 signing period. The Bulldogs are led by Rickea Jackson. During SEC play, she ranks second among SEC freshmen in both scoring (16.5 ppg) and field goal percentage (.500) while sitting at fifth in rebounding (6.0 rpg).
• BACK-TO-BACK SEC TITLES: Last year, Mississippi State claimed its second-straight SEC Title with a 68-64 victory over the Gamecocks in Colonial Life Arena in the regular-season finale.
• VERSUS TOP 10: Since the 2016-17 season, State is 9-7 against top-10 teams, including three wins against top-5 teams.

Bulldog Bites
• With the start of SEC play, the Bulldogs have their sights set on a third consecutive SEC title, a feat that no program has accomplished outright since 2001-04.
• Mississippi State is riding an eight-game winning streak, which is tied for the eighth longest win streak in Division I.
• Graduate guard Jordan Danberry leads the team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and steals (2.7 spg) while ranking second in assists (3.1 apg). She ranks 17th among Division I players in total steals (49) and 27th in steals per game to pace a Mississippi State defense that tops the SEC in turnovers forced per game (22.0).
• Freshman Rickea Jackson is second on the team in scoring (13.5 ppg) and third in rebounding (4.6 rpg). She is the first true freshman to start the season for Schaefer since 2014-15 with Victoria Vivians, who was second team All-SEC during her first season after averaging 14.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
• With the departure of SEC Player of the Year Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State had a major void to fill in the post this season. Sophomore forward Jessika Carter has helped answer that need, averaging 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. As a sophomore, McCowan averaged 8.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Carter has six double-doubles on the year.

State's Offense Among Best in the Country
• Although Vic Schaefer's teams are widely known for their defense, Mississippi State has established itself as one of the best offensive teams in Division I.
• This season, State ranks fifth in the nation in scoring margin (+24.9) and seventh in scoring offense at 82.7 ppg.
• With four players shooting over 50 percent from the field, the Bulldogs rank 10th in the country and top the SEC in field goal percentage with a .477 clip.
• Another key to MSU's offensive success has been its ability to take care of the ball and make the extra passes for better shots. State ranks sixth in the SEC in assists per game (14.2 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.07).
• When the Bulldogs aren't knocking down shots, State is crashing the glass to get a second opportunity at a basket. With 264 offensive rebounds on the season, Mississippi State has gotten the rebound on 42 percent of its missed baskets and turned that into 288 second-chance points.

Secretary of Defense
• Vic Schaefer's teams have always had a major emphasis on one area: defense. If you want to play for him, you have to play lockdown, tenacious and suffocating defense for 40 minutes every game. It's this expectation and mentality that has earned Schaefer the nickname "Secretary of Defense."
• So far this season, State's relentless defense has forced opponents into turning the ball over 395 times for an average of 22.0 turnovers per game. That number ranks 11th in the nation and first in the SEC. The Bulldogs have forced at least 20 turnovers in all but three games this year.
• The Bulldogs have been great at rejecting shots with an average of 5.2 blocks per game, which is 21st in the Division I. Jessika Carter has led the charge by posting 1.9 bpg this season to rank 47th in the country and fifth in the SEC.
• State's on-ball pressure has been suffocating all year, especially in the press. MSU ranks fourth in the SEC with 9.6 steals per game. Jordan Danberry is pacing the team in the category with 2.7 spg to rank third in league and 27th in the nation.
• While there is no ranking for the stat, Mississippi State certainly ranks amongst the country's best teams at drawing charges. So far, the Bulldogs have taken 63 charges, led by 30 from Myah Taylor.

Danberry Dominating on Both Ends of the Court
• Jordan Danberry has been one of the best players on both ends of the floor in the SEC and the country this season.
• Danberry has made the most of her final season so far. The do-it-all guard leads the team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and steals (2.7 spg). She is second on the team in assists (3.1 apg).
• Offensively, the Conway, Ark., native is shooting a blazing .548 percent clip from the field on the year and has posted four 20-point performances. She has scored in double figures in nine consecutive games, including a 21-point performance against Florida.
• On the defensive end of the floor, Danberry has recorded multiple steals in 12 games this season and has seven contests with four or more steals.
• In her last five games, Danberry has been on fire, averaging 17.4 ppg while shooting 62 percent from the field to go along with 3.6 apg, 3.4 rpg and 2.6 spg.

Jackson Having Stellar Freshman Season
• Mississippi State knew it was going to rely on newcomers early and often this season, and McDonald's All-American Rickea Jackson has been stellar in her first season with the Bulldogs.
• Jackson ranks second on the team in scoring (13.2 ppg) and third in rebounding (4.5 rpg). The freshman forward is shooting 48 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc on the year.
• The Detroit, Mich., native has finished with double-digit scoring in nine of the last 11 games and 12 times overall this season. During the last five contests, she is averaging 16.0 ppg to go along with 5.8 rpg.
• During conference play, Jackson currently is second among SEC freshmen in scoring (16.5 ppg) and field goal percentage (.500) while ranking fifth in rebounding (6.0 rpg).
• After averaging 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in wins over Florida and at Georgia, Jackson was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Jan. 7. She posted 20 points in MSU's conference opener against the Gators and finished with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks at Georgia.
• She earned MVP honors in the Duel in the Desert tournament after notching the first double-double of her career with 17 points and 10 rebounds vs. USF and posting a team-high 17 points against Virginia.
• Jackson marked the first true freshman to start the season for Schaefer since 2014-15 with Victoria Vivians, who was second team All-SEC during her first season after averaging 14.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.