Thursday, February 11
Fayetteville, Ark.
8:00 PM
Mississippi State
at
#18 Arkansas
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
PREVIEW: Women’s Hoops at #18 Arkansas
February 10, 2021 | Women's Basketball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Having only played one game during the last 25 days, Mississippi State women's basketball returns to the hardwood with a trip to Bud Walton Arena to face the No. 18 Arkansas Razorbacks on Thursday at 8 p.m. CT.
The game will be televised on SEC Network 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 has claimed 10-straight meetings in the series against Arkansas, marking the Bulldogs' second-longest active win streak against an SEC foe. During last year's meeting, State defeated the Razorbacks 92-83 at Humphrey Coliseum. Jessika Carter finished with a team-high 21 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Aliyah Matharu earned her first career start in the game and recorded 18 points seven rebounds and four assists.
In that game, State held National Player of the Year candidate Chelsea Dungee to a season-low four points. This season, Dungee has been one of the top offensive players in the country, averaging 21.9 points per game behind three 30-point performances. She's the heart and soul of a Razorback offense that averages 84.3 points per game. When playing at home, Arkansas is 9-1 on the year and owns wins against top-5 opponents in UConn and Baylor.
Bulldog Storylines
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."
--HailState.com--
The game will be televised on SEC Network 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 has claimed 10-straight meetings in the series against Arkansas, marking the Bulldogs' second-longest active win streak against an SEC foe. During last year's meeting, State defeated the Razorbacks 92-83 at Humphrey Coliseum. Jessika Carter finished with a team-high 21 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Aliyah Matharu earned her first career start in the game and recorded 18 points seven rebounds and four assists.
In that game, State held National Player of the Year candidate Chelsea Dungee to a season-low four points. This season, Dungee has been one of the top offensive players in the country, averaging 21.9 points per game behind three 30-point performances. She's the heart and soul of a Razorback offense that averages 84.3 points per game. When playing at home, Arkansas is 9-1 on the year and owns wins against top-5 opponents in UConn and Baylor.
Bulldog Storylines
- Last week, State's Big Three of Jessika Carter, Rickea Jackson and Myah Taylor each earned finalist spots on the Naismith Starting Five positional awards. Combined, the trio averages 39.6 points, 16.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. In the five main statistical categories, at least one of the three is the team leader, as Jackson leads the team in scoring, Carter paces the team in rebounds and blocks and Taylor tops things in assists and steals.
- Rickea Jackson, who was named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 watch list, leads the team in scoring with 15.8 points to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. The sophomore forward owns two 30-point efforts, and her 10 games with 20+ points during her career ranks 11th in MSU history since 1999.
- Jessika Carter ranks 24th among active Division I players in career field goal percentage (.552). She owns 17 career double-doubles, including six this season, and leads the team in rebounding (9.2 rpg) and blocks (1.5 bpg) and is second in scoring (15.3) 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 Olive Branch, Miss., native ranks 22nd in the country and leads the SEC with a 2.80 assist/turnover ratio.
- 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 six contests, including when she was responsible for 50 percent (30 of 60) of State's points against Ole Miss.
- A scoring threat and spark off the bench for Mississippi State, Aliyah Matharu is making a case for SEC Sixth Woman of the Year. The sophomore guard ranks third on the team in scoring with 9.4 points per game. She's shooting 46 percent from the floor and 35 percent from beyond the arc.
- Mississippi State entered 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 139 wins, which is the fourth-most victories in all of Division I. UConn leads the way, while Baylor ranks second and Louisville is third.
- 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).
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."
--HailState.com--
Players Mentioned
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