PREVIEW: #9 WBK Hoops at Auburn

Thursday, February 20

Auburn, Ala.

8:00 PM

Mississippi State

Auburn

PREVIEW: #9 WBK Hoops at Auburn

February 19, 2020 | Women's Basketball

Watch Live (SECN)Listen Live Live Stats TuneIn VIDEO: Media Session (Feb. 18)MSU Notes Auburn Notes

by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications

AUBURN, Ala. – No. 9 Mississippi State is back on the road Thursday night with a matchup the Auburn Tigers at Auburn Arena at 8 p.m. CT.

"It's a big week for us," said head coach Vic Schaefer. "We've got to go on the road again on Thursday and play a team that's really hot right now coming off a win against LSU. They've been playing really well, so that presents challenges within itself. Obviously, when we played here, we had a great ballgame with them. I know they'll be ready for us when we go down there."

The Bulldogs (22-4, 10-2 SEC) are looking to bounce back after coming off of a tough road loss at No. 18 Kentucky on Sunday. Three players finished with double-figure scoring. Jessika Carter led the way with 18 points and six rebounds, while added Rickea Jackson 16 points and seven boards.

Entering the matchup with the Auburn, State will be looking to continue its recent success against the Tigers by winning its eighth-straight in the series. AU (9-14, 3-9 SEC) is coming off a 65-60 win against LSU. Junior Unique Thompson has been a standout for the Tigers this season, averaging 16.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.

In the first meeting, Mississippi State captured a 78-73 victory at home. Jackson finished with a then-career-high 22 points to fuel the offense. Despite trailing at halftime, the Bulldogs rallied with a 10-2 run during the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Fans can watch the game on SEC Network with Eric Frede and Tamika Catchings on the call. 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 TuneIn 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."

Bulldog Bites
• As the race heats up for both SEC and National Freshman of the Year, Mississippi State's Rickea Jackson has made a strong case to be one the top candidates for the prestigious honors. During SEC play, she leads all freshmen in scoring (16.6 ppg) while ranking second in field goal percentage (.463) and fifth in rebounding (5.6 rpg). She's the only freshman who ranks inside the top 10 in both scoring (4th) and field goal percentage (9th) during conference play.
• For the year, Jackson leads the team in scoring (14.3 ppg) and is third in rebounding (4.8 rpg). She ranks ninth in the SEC in scoring and is 11th in field goal percentage (.466). She has scored in double figures in 19 games, including 14 games with at least 15 points, and has shot 50 percent or better from the field 11 times.
• Jackson marks 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 five 20-point games during conference play, Jackson is the first MSU freshman to post multiple 20-point games in SEC play since Vivians had three.
• Graduate guard Jordan Danberry leads the team steals (2.6 spg) while ranking second in assists (3.1 apg) and third in scoring (12.3 ppg). She ranks 20th among Division I players in total steals (68) and 30th in steals per game to pace a Mississippi State defense that leads the SEC in turnovers forced per game (21.6).
• 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 13.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. As a sophomore, McCowan averaged 8.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
• Carter ranks 12th in Division I in field goal percentage (.595) and is 14th in offensive rebounds per game (4.3).
• During SEC play, State has three players that rank inside the top 10 in field goal percentage. Carter ranks second with a .653 clip, while Danberry (.504) is sixth and Jackson (.463) is ninth. As a team, MSU ranks second in the SEC with a .461 clip in league play.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Myah Taylor is one of the best help-side defenders in the country. With 41 charges drawn and 53 steals, she's forced 94 turnovers this year, which accounts for 17 percent of MSU's turnovers forced. On the other end of the floor, her 2.68 assist/turnover ratio is 13th in the country and third in the SEC.

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 ninth in the nation in scoring margin (+20.8) and 10th in scoring offense at 79.3 ppg.
• With four players shooting over 50 percent from the field, the Bulldogs rank 11th in the country and second in the SEC in field goal percentage with a .468 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 fourth in the SEC in assists per game (14.0 apg) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.08).
• When the Bulldogs aren't knocking down shots, State is crashing the glass to get a second opportunity at a basket. With 359 offensive rebounds on the season, Mississippi State has gotten the rebound on 40 percent of its missed baskets and turned that into 383 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 560 times for an average of 21.6 turnovers per game. That number ranks 10th in the nation and tops the SEC. The Bulldogs have forced at least 20 turnovers in 20 games this season.
• State's on-ball pressure has been suffocating all year, especially in the press. MSU ranks second in the SEC with 9.7 steals per game. Jordan Danberry is pacing the team in the category with 2.6 spg to rank second in league and 30th in the nation.
• The Bulldogs have been solid at rejecting shots with an average of 4.7 blocks per game, which is 31st in Division I. Jessika Carter has led the charge by posting 1.8 bpg this season to rank 53rd in the country and sixth in the SEC.
• 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 88 charges, led by 41 from Myah Taylor.

Deep Dive into State's Specialty Stats
• When it comes to specialty stats, Mississippi State leads its opponents in all five categories this year.
• The Bulldogs have been able to score at will down low this season. MSU has posted 1170 of its points in the paint, which accounts for 57 percent of the team's total scoring. State has scored at least 50 points in the paint seven times.
• With defense being a top priority, Mississippi State has been able to turn its 560 turnovers forced into 630 points. That accounts for nearly a third of the team's scoring this year.
• MSU is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to field goal percentage, but when it does miss, State has been able to get an offensive rebound on 40 percent of its missed shots, which the Bulldogs have capitalized on and turned into 383 second-chance points.
• While MSU has three starters that are averaging double-digit scoring, Mississippi State's bench has also provided a much-needed spark in several games this season. With 694 bench points this year, State is getting an average of 26.7 points per game from the reserves. During SEC play, MSU's bench has outscored opponents in nine games.
• When the Bulldogs get a turnover, one of the things that MSU wants to do is turn that into quick points in transition. So far, State has 373 fast break points this season.

Danberry Earns Spot on Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team
• In the midst of a stellar final season, Jordan Danberry was tabbed to the Naismith Trophy Women's Player of the Year 2020 Midseason Team by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Tuesday morning.
• Danberry ranks inside the top 30 in the nation in both total steals and steals per game on the year despite defending the opposing team's best guard every game.
• Offensively, she's one of the team's top scorers and ranks second in assists.
• Danberry was one of 30 players from across the country to be selected for the midseason team.
• She also earned a spot on the Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year Midseason Team in January.

State Assistants Recognized for Coaching Efforts
• Mississippi State's two associate head coaches have each been recognized for their professionalism, hard work and promise in the coaching field.
• Johnnie Harris, who was named the WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018, has been selected to participate in this year's NEXT UP program at the Final Four. This is a competitive program that promotes up-and-coming coaches in women's basketball that are likely to become head coaches.
• Harris has been responsible for coaching some of the best post players in program history at State, including Teaira McCowan who she mentored during record-setting senior and junior campaigns in 2017-19.
• Dionnah Jackson-Durrett was honored last month at the 2019 Delux Power 100, which recognizes the top 100 professionals and influential leaders from St. Louis. She is considered one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the country.
• An All-America point guard at Oklahoma, Jackson-Durrett's presence in Starkville has been felt since she arrived in 2015. Working with the point guards, Mississippi State recorded its top three assists marks for a single season each of the last three years under her guidance and coached and mentored arguably the two best point guards ever to play for the Bulldogs in Jazzmun Holmes and Morgan William.

--HailState.com--