PREVIEW: #12 Women’s Hoops vs. #13 Kentucky

STARKVILLE – In its first top-25 matchup of the season, No. 12 Mississippi State is set to host No. 13 Kentucky for a 12 p.m. tip at Humphrey Coliseum on Sunday.

The contest was initially scheduled for Jan. 24, but the game was moved up by the league office. State was originally slated to play Vanderbilt, but the game was postponed due to COVID concerns in the Commodores program. Fans planning to attend should use their KENTUCKY game tickets.

Doors will open one hour before tip. Fans who plan to attend the game are encouraged to review the Mississippi State Gameday Guidelines.

The game will be televised on ESPN2 with Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Tamika Catchings (analyst) on the call. The matchup can also be streamed on the MSU Radio Network with Jason Crowder.

Mississippi State (6-1, 1-0 SEC) is coming off a 69-62 victory on the road that handed Georgia its first loss of the season. Freshman Madison Hayes posted a solid performance off the bench, sparking the Bulldogs with a season-high 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting.

Kentucky (8-1, 1-0 SEC) enters the game on the heels of a big win against No. 10 Arkansas. The victory marked the second top-15 win of the season for the Wildcats, who are led by reigning SEC Player of the Year Rhyne Howard. The junior leads UK with 16.7 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Dre'una Edwards is averaging 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, while senior guard Chasity Patterson is posting 14.1 points per game and leads the nation with 42 steals to round out one of the best trios in the country.

The two squads split meetings last year. After the Wildcats claimed the first matchup in Lexington, the Bulldogs win 77-59 in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. Rickea Jackson had a great performance with 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting and 10 rebounds. Fifteen of her points came in the second half to help State outscore the Wildcats, 45-24, after trailing by three at halftime.

Bulldog Storylines

Mississippi State enters a new era during the 2020-21 campaign, as women's basketball hall of famer Nikki McCray-Penson takes the helm of the women's basketball program. The Collierville, Tenn., native boasts a decorated resume to this point in her career.
- 2017 National Championship
- 2x Olympic Gold Medalist
- 2x SEC Player of the Year
- 3x WNBA All-Star
- 1997 ABL MVP
- 1997 ABL Championship
Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, Mississippi State owns 137 wins, which is the third-most victories in all of Division I. UConn leads the way with 142 wins, while Baylor boasts 138.
With MSU being tabbed No. 12 in the most recent poll, the Bulldogs have now spent 120 consecutive weeks inside the AP Top 25, continuing the longest streak in program history and the fifth-longest active streak in the country.
During the last few years, Mississippi State has developed into one of the top scoring offenses in the nation. The Bulldogs ranked inside the top 25 in scoring during each of the last four seasons. This season, MSU ranks 31st overall with 82.9 ppg.
In their game against Troy, the Bulldogs broke the program record and matched the SEC record for 3-pointers made in a single game (18).
State returned three starters from last year's squad, and they've each earned preseason recognition for their talent. Rickea Jackson and Jessika Carter are both candidates for the Naismith Trophy and Wade Trophy, while point guard Myah Taylor made the Nancy Lieberman Award preseason watch list.
Rickea Jackson, who is also a Wooden Award candidate, is averaging 16.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. The sophomore forward owns two 30-point efforts and nine 20-points games during her career.
One of the most efficient posts in the country, Jessika Carter ranks 14th among active Division I players in career field goal percentage (.573). She owns 14 career double-doubles and leads the team in scoring (17.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg) this season.
After ranking eighth in the country and leading the SEC in assist/turnover ratio (2.80) last season, Myah Taylor picked up right where she left off. The redshirt junior guard currently boasts the nation's seventh-best assist/turnover ratio at 5.00.
MSU's 2020-21 roster boasts three McDonald's All-Americans in Rickea Jackson, Sidney Cooks and Madison Hayes.

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."