PREVIEW: #21 Women’s Hoops vs. #4 South Carolina

STARKVILLE – After an 11-day stint without a game, No. 21 Mississippi State returns to the court with a battle against No. 4 South Carolina at Humphrey Coliseum on Thursday night at 6 p.m.

The game will be nationally televised on ESPN with Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst) and Holly Rowe (reporter) on the call. The matchup can also be streamed on the MSU Radio Network with Jason Crowder.

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

The battle for the SEC has come down to this rivalry during the majority of the last decade. In 2019, Mississippi State claimed its second-straight SEC Title with a 68-64 victory over the Gamecocks in Colonial Life Arena during the regular-season finale. Last year, the Bulldogs fell in a heartbreaking 81-79 loss in Columbia, as South Carolina went undefeated during league play and finished the season ranked No. 1 in the country.

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
McCray-Penson spent nine seasons on Dawn Staley's staff at South Carolina from 2008-09 until 2016-17. The two also competed on Team USA together during the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, winning the gold medal in both of those years.
Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, Mississippi State owns 139 wins, which is tied for the third-most victories in all of Division I. UConn leads the way with 146 wins with Baylor in second with 141. Louisville also boasts 139 wins.
With MSU being tabbed No. 21 in the most recent poll, the Bulldogs have now spent 124 consecutive weeks inside the AP Top 25, continuing the longest streak in program history and the fifth-longest active streak in the country.
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).
Rickea Jackson, who was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 watch list, leads the team in scoring with 15.8 points to go along with 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The sophomore forward owns two 30-point efforts and 10 games with 20+ points during her career. Her 10 20-point efforts rank 11th in MSU history since 1999.
One of the most efficient posts in the country, Jessika Carter ranks 21st among active Division I players in career field goal percentage (.558). She owns 16 career double-doubles, including five this season, and leads the team in rebounding (9.2 rpg) and blocks (1.4 bpg) and is second in scoring (15.6) 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 13th-best assist/turnover ratio at 3.40.
Between her scoring and assists, Taylor has been a major factor in State's offense this season. In fact, she has accounted for more than 25 percent of MSU's total scoring in five contests, including when she was responsible for 50 percent (30 of 60) of State's points against Ole Miss.
A major scoring threat and huge spark off the bench for Mississippi State, Aliyah Matharu is making a case for SEC Sixth Woman of the Year. The sophomore guard is ranks third on the team in scoring with 9.8 points per game. She's shooting 47 percent from the floor and 37 percent from beyond the arc.

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."