Strong Fourth Quarter Fuels State to 68-52 Win at Vanderbilt

Thursday, January 23

Nashville, Tenn.

8:00 PM

Mississippi State

17-3,5-1SEC

Vanderbilt

12-7,2-4SEC

Mississippi St.

Vanderbilt

Strong Fourth Quarter Fuels State to 68-52 Win at Vanderbilt

January 23, 2020 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 9 Mississippi State dominated both ends of the floor in the final frame to down Vanderbilt 68-52 on the road in Memorial Gym on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs (17-3, 5-1 SEC) outscored the Commodores 22-2 in the fourth quarter and forced eight turnovers in the period to rebound from slow second and third quarters. Freshman Aliyah Matharu scored 11 of her 14 points in the final frame to go along with her four rebounds and four steals for the game.

"Vanderbilt really played with a lot of energy tonight, a lot more than we did," said head coach Vic Schaefer. "I am disappointed in that, but you have to give Vanderbilt a lot of credit. Head coach Stephanie White and her staff had those kids ready to play. We weren't ready to play. We obviously had a real big hangover, but I am proud of my kids for finding a way on a night when you are on the road in the Southeastern Conference where you obviously do not play your best basketball. I'm proud of Aliyah for how she played in the fourth quarter. She made some really tough shots for us down the stretch."

Sophomore Jessika Carter posted a strong performance, recording 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. She helped lead the charge in the paint, where State held a 48-18 scoring advantage over Vanderbilt (12-7, 2-4 SEC).

On the defensive end of the floor, the Bulldogs forced 26 turnovers, which they converted into 31 points, and recorded 14 steals and six blocks. State held VU to 32 percent shooting from the floor on the evening.

Mississippi State had the hot hand out the gate, shooting a blazing 73 percent (11-of-15) from the field in the first quarter to take a 24-14 lead early on. Nearly all of State's points came in the paint, scoring 22 points down low during the period. Carter had 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting to lead the way.

After getting into foul trouble early, the Bulldogs struggled offensively in the second stanza. MSU shot 19 percent from the field and knocked down just one basket during the final five minutes of the frame. Vanderbilt ended the half on a 12-2 run to cut State's lead to 31-30 at intermission.

The Commodores continued to hold the momentum in the third period, outscoring MSU 20-15 to take a 50-46 lead after three quarters. Carter had nine of State's points in the stanza to fuel the offense.

After switching to a zone defense, Mississippi State dominated both ends of the floor and cruised to the 16-point victory. Two points in the fourth stanza was the fewest points an opponent had scored in a quarter this season.

Up next, State returns home for a three-game stretch, beginning with a matchup against Ole Miss at 4 p.m. Sunday. The game will be televised on SEC Network and will be 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."