PREVIEW: #9 WBK Hoops vs. Alabama

Sunday, February 23

Starkville

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

Alabama

Tickets

PREVIEW: #9 WBK Hoops vs. Alabama

February 22, 2020 | Women's Basketball

Buy Tickets Watch Live (SECN)Listen Live Live Stats TuneIn MSU Notes Alabama Notes

by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – No. 9 Mississippi State returns home for a two-game stand at Humphrey Coliseum, starting with a matchup against Alabama at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Bulldogs (23-4, 11-2 SEC) are coming off an overtime win at Auburn, 92-85. After trailing by 14 with less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter, State rallied to the victory behind a career night from Rickea Jackson. The freshman forward finished with 34 points, the second-most points in a game by a freshman in program history, to go along with seven rebounds and three assists.

Alabama (15-11, 5-8 SEC) enters the contest on the heels of a 69-62 victory over Florida on Thursday night. Redshirt junior guard Jordan Lewis had an all-around performance to lead the Crimson Tide, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, a season-high eight rebounds and six assists.

"We are playing an Alabama team that could easily be 9-4 during SEC play," said head coach Vic Schaefer. "They're not out of any game. Kristy Curry is a great coach. Her team embodies her. They play their guts out. They were down 20 at Georgia and fought back to get the game to overtime. That's just how hard they compete."

Mississippi State will honor the 10-year anniversary of the 2009-10 team on Sunday. The squad was the first team in program history to reach the Sweet 16.

The first 500 fans to arrive at the game will receive a free maroon shirt. State's clear bag policy and walk-through metal detectors will be in place for all home games this season. For all gameday information, visit www.HailState.com/Gameday.

Fans unable to attend the game can watch on SEC Network with Eric Frede and Christy Thomaskutty 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
• Rickea Jackson continues to make a strong case for being the SEC and National Freshman of the Year. During SEC play, she leads all freshmen in scoring (17.9 ppg) while ranking second in field goal percentage (.482) and fifth in rebounding (5.7 rpg).
• For the year, Jackson leads the team in scoring (15.0 ppg) and is third in rebounding (4.9 rpg). She's the only freshman in the SEC who ranks inside the top 10 both in scoring (8th) and field goal percentage (9th/.477). She has scored in double figures in 20 games, including 15 games with at least 15 points, and has shot 50 percent or better from the field 12 times.
• Her six games with at least 20 points during SEC play are the most by any freshman in the league, and she's the only freshman to score 30 points in a game this season. Her 34 points against Auburn were the second-most ever by an MSU freshman.
• Jackson marked the first true freshman to start the season since 2014-15 with Vivians, who was second team All-SEC during her first season after averaging 14.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
• Graduate guard Jordan Danberry leads the team steals (2.6 spg) while ranking second in assists (3.0 apg) and third in scoring (12.2 ppg). She ranks 22nd among Division I players in total steals (69) and 31st 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 13.6 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 13th in Division I in both field goal percentage (.589) and offensive rebounds per game (4.2).
• For the season, State is the only team in the SEC with three players that rank inside the top 10 in field goal percentage. Carter ranks third with a .589 clip, while Danberry (.517) is seventh and Jackson (.477) is ninth. Mississippi State ranks ninth in the country and tops the SEC with a .471 field goal percentage.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Myah Taylor is one of the best help-side defenders in the country. With 41 charges drawn and 56 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 2.52 assist/turnover ratio is 14th in the country and third in the SEC.

Jackson Recording Freshman of the Year Campaign
• 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 leads the team in scoring (15.0 ppg) and is third rebounding (4.9 rpg). The freshman forward is shooting 48 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc on the year.
• The Detroit, Mich., native has finished with double-digit scoring in 11 of State's 13 conference games and 20 times overall.
• During league play, she leads all SEC freshmen in scoring (17.9 ppg) while ranking second in field goal percentage (.482) and fifth in rebounding (5.7 rpg).
• For the season, she is the only freshman in the conference who ranks inside the top 10 in both scoring (8th) and field goal percentage (9th).
• Her six games with at least 20 points during SEC play are the most by any freshman in the league. Jackson surpassed Victoria Vivians (3) for the most 20-point efforts in conference play by a freshman Bulldog under Schaefer.
• Jackson has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week twice this season, most recently receiving the honor after averaging 23 points per game and shooting 60 percent from the field in State's wins against Auburn and Georgia.
• Jackson went off in State's second matchup against Auburn, dropping a career-high 34 points on 14-of-22 shooting. It was tied for the second-most ever by an MSU freshman and marked the most since Victoria Vivians had 39 vs. Kentucky on Feb. 12, 2015.
• 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 since 2014-15 with Vivians, who was second team All-SEC during her first season after averaging 14.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

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 (+20.3) and 10th in scoring offense at 79.8 ppg.
• With four players shooting over 50 percent from the field, the Bulldogs rank ninth in the country and tops the SEC in field goal percentage with a .471 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 fifth in the SEC in both assists per game (14.0 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.05).
• When the Bulldogs aren't knocking down shots, State is crashing the glass to get a second opportunity at a basket. With 370 offensive rebounds on the season, Mississippi State has gotten the rebound on 39 percent of its missed baskets and turned that into 401 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 582 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 21 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 31st 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 51st 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.

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.