Mississippi State
22-4,10-2SEC
#18 Kentucky
19-5,8-4SEC
State Falls in Tough Road Game at Kentucky, 73-62
February 16, 2020 | Women's Basketball
by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Turnovers kept Mississippi State from getting into a rhythm on offense, as the sixth-ranked Bulldogs fell on the road to No. 18 Kentucky, 73-62, at Memorial Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.
"Kentucky was sensational today," head coach Vic Schaefer said. "I thought they out toughed us. They were more physical and more aggressive. That is kind of what we built our program on over the years, a tough, physical, aggressive basketball team. That doesn't say anything about your skill set. That is really what we have hung our hat on at Mississippi State and what we have developed. I really just feel like Kentucky was tremendous today."
Despite fighting back from an early double-digit deficit to make it a one-possession game at halftime, nine turnovers by MSU (22-4, 10-2 SEC) in the third quarter swung the momentum in favor of the Wildcats and left State facing a 16-point disadvantage going into the final frame. The Bulldogs tried to rally in the fourth quarter, cutting UK's lead to eight with 2:51 left, but it was too late for MSU to fight back.
MSU won the battle on the boards 36-35 and outscored Kentucky in the paint 38-24, but it was Kentucky's 20 points off of State's 17 turnovers that gave the Wildcats the edge in the game.
Three players finished with double-figure scoring. Jessika Carter led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. Rickea Jackson recorded 16 points and seven boards, while Andra Espinoza-Hunter gave Mississippi State a spark off the bench with 12 points and four rebounds.
Kentucky (19-5, 8-4 SEC) was led by Rhyne Howard, who finished with a game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds. She had 11 points during the Wildcats' run in the third quarter.
Mississippi State found success early, opening the game on a 6-0 run, but after a timeout by Kentucky at the 8:31 mark, MSU struggled on offense. The Bulldogs were outscored 19-3 to end the period and faced a 19-9 deficit at the end of the first quarter.
State clawed its way back into the game with a strong second stanza that was fueled by a 14-5 run during the final 4:36 of the frame. Carter had the hot hand with 12 points to ignite the offense. MSU shot 50 percent from the floor to cut Kentucky's lead to 35-32 going into halftime.
The Bulldogs lost their momentum in the third period due to nine turnovers, preventing the offense from every getting into a rhythm. On the other end of the floor, the Wildcats shot 53 percent from the floor and extended their lead to 57-41 at the end of the quarter.
Jackson fueled the offense in the fourth period with 14 points, but the Bulldogs couldn't overcome the double-digit deficit down the stretch. For the game, MSU shot 39 percent from the field compared to Kentucky's 44 percent shooting.
Up next, State is back on the road for its second matchup of the season with Auburn in an 8 p.m. tip Thursday night. The game will be nationally televised on SEC Network and can be streamed 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."
