Mississippi State
(4-116-3 SEC)
#1 South Carolina
(6-018-1 SEC)
#9 Bulldogs Fall in Heartbreaking Loss at #1 South Carolina, 81-79
January 20, 2020 | Women's Basketball
by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 9 Mississippi State suffered a heartbreaking loss in a battle between top-10 teams Monday night, falling to No. 1 South Carolina 81-79 on the road at Colonial Life Arena.
MSU opened the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run to extend its lead to 71-62, but the Gamecocks responded with a 9-2 run of their own to make it a one-possession game with five minutes left. The two teams would swap blows the rest of the way, as the lead changed five times, but it was a 5-0 run by South Carolina during the final three minutes that sealed the game. The Bulldogs had two chances to tie or take the lead during the final 30 seconds but were unable to convert.
Despite playing in front of a rowdy crowd of 13,163 fans, the Bulldogs (16-3, 4-1 SEC) remained calm during the game and battled back from an early double-digit deficit. State won the scoring battle in the paint 54-48 and only lost the rebounding battle 38-35 to the Gamecocks, who owned the nation's second-leading rebounding margin entering the game.
"I am just so proud of my team," said head coach Vic Schaefer. "My philosophy in coaching is if it is a four-point game, up or down, the last four minutes you have to get them home. I didn't get them home tonight. My kids played their hearts out. It was a heck of a basketball game. It was a great atmosphere for our game and for the nation to see. I am proud of my kids for their competitive spirit and how hard they fought. That is a heck of a basketball team in South Carolina. I think everyone saw across the country if they're No. 1 then we aren't far behind.
"It is heartbreaking. I am concerned about my team. I don't know if they know how to get over something like that. We led for most of the second half. Our inability to inbound the ball again on an out of bounds play potentially cost us an opportunity to win. That is nothing more than coaching better and teaching better. That's my job. That is a tough environment, and we went toe-to-toe with them."
Jordan Danberry and Rickea Jackson were the team's leading scorers. Danberry finished with 16 points, four rebounds and two steals, while Jackson added 16 points, five boards and steal.
Mississippi State's bench offered a huge spark during the game, outscoring SC 36-6. JaMya Mingo-Young had 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while Aliyah Matharu dropped 10 points during a 2:05 stretch in the third quarter.
South Carolina (18-1, 6-0 SEC) was led by Aliyah Boston, who recorded 21 points and 12 rebounds. Tyasha Harris ended with a game-high 23 points and seven assists.
The Gamecocks gained the momentum early on, shooting 53 percent from the field and knocking down three 3-pointer to take a 22-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
South Carolina took its largest lead in the half at 12 points with 6:31 remaining, but Mississippi State fought back to cut the deficit to one point going into halftime at 43-42. The Bulldogs were on fire in the frame, shooting a 60-percent clip from the floor and rallying behind a 12-4 run going into intermission.
Jackson led the team with 13 points and four rebounds, while Xaria Wiggins had eight points off the bench in the second period to help spark the offense. For the half, eight different Bulldogs scored a basket as State shot 52 percent from the field.
The two teams battled back and forth in the third stanza with five lead changes occurring during the quarter. After South Carolina regained the lead with a 7-0 run, Matharu came in a rattled off 10 straight points to push State back in front. The Bulldogs entered the final frame with a 65-62 lead.
State held a lead for most of the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs went on a scoring drought during the final 3:26 to play. For the game, MSU shot 49 percent from the field compared to South Carolina's 47-percent shooting.
Up next, State heads to Vanderbilt to take on the Commodores at Memorial Gym on Thursday night at 8 p.m. CT tip. The game will be televised on SEC Network and also broadcasted on the MSU Radio Network.
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."
