Mississippi State Hosts Tennessee on Thursday; Tipoff Moved To 4 P.M.

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State women's basketball hosts Tennessee inside Humphrey Coliseum to close out its first SEC home stretch on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. CT. on SEC Network.

The contest was originally scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT prior to being moved up to accommodate travel with inclement weather conditions in the Southeast and surrounding areas.

Despite the time change, gameday parking is expected to operate as normal. Due to parking lots being open during campus operating hours, an overflow plan will be implemented if needed. Parking attendants will guide passholders to secondary lots if necessary. If Lot CC is full, passholders will be directed to the North Garage. If Lot DD is full, passholders will be directed to Lot EE.

GAME INFORMATION
Mississippi State (15-4, 2-2 SEC) vs. Tennessee (10-6, 3-1 SEC)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 18 | Time: 4:00 p.m. CT
Location: Starkville, Miss. (Humphrey Coliseum – 9,100)
Watch: SEC Network
Listen: MSU Radio Network - Starkville 96.1 (Play-By-Play: Jason Crowder)

Fans not in attendance can follow action on SEC Network with play-by-play Sam Gore and analyst Holly Warlick or through their Mississippi State radio station with Jason Crowder. Live statistics throughout the contest will be available through the statbroacast link attached above.

Tennessee leads the all-time series 39-8 and 17-3 in Starkville. Mississippi State won the last series meeting 91-90 (2OT) inside Humphrey Coliseum on Feb. 6, 2023. The latest series win also secured head coach Sam Purcell the 16th win of his career and made him the winningest first-year head coach in program history.

Mississippi State has started its SEC schedule with a 2-2 record after it went 9-7 in regular-season conference play in 2022-23. The 11 SEC wins and 37 overall wins by Purcell are already the most of any Mississippi State head coach in their first two seasons. Purcell recorded the most SEC wins by a Mississippi State head coach in their debut season with the nine victories in 2022-23 - a mark that is almost double the previous high of five wins by Vic Schafer. Purcell also stands as the only head coach in program history to have a winning record in SEC play in his debut season.

Mississippi State improved to 15-4 overall and 2-2 in the SEC this season with a pair of victories at Arkansas on Jan. 11 followed by a home win over rival Ole Miss on Jan. 14.

With a current 8-2 home record and six home contests left on the schedule, Mississippi State has a chance to extend its consistent home win streak. Mississippi State has won 10 or more home games in 11 of the last 12 seasons. The only season in that stretch that it failed to reach double-digit home victories was during the shortened 2020-21 season when it went 7-4.

Graduate student center Jessika Carter earned SEC Co-Player of the Week honors for the second time this season on Tuesday after she averaged 22.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game over Mississippi State's first two conference wins last week. It marks the fourth overall time in her career that she has earned the conference's top weekly honor.

Carter is currently averaging career best marks in points and rebounds with 15.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. She would be the first Bulldog to average a double-double and also the first post a 10-plus rebound average since Teaira McCowan in 2018-19.

Carter was the main catalyst in the pair of conference victories last week. She has totaled 45 points and 24 rebounds on 20-31 from the field for 64.5 percent over the last two conference games compared to 14 points and 18 rebounds on 6-18 for 33.3 percent over the first two.

Graduate student guard Lauren Park-Lane leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally with 116 assists. She is one of just three players in the country to rank inside the top eight for total assists each of the last two seasons. Park-Lane has led the team in assists in each of the first four SEC games and in 17 of 19 games with the Bulldogs. Her current 6.1 assists per game would be the second-best single-season mark in program history.

Mississippi State is one of the top teams nationally at defending without fouling and stand second nationally with only 12.0 fouls per game. That mark will be tested as Ole Miss ranks top-10 nationally in both free throws made and attempted.

Mississippi State travels to take on Florida on Monday at 6:00 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

Mississippi State Hosts Tennessee on Thursday; Tipoff Moved To 4 P.M.

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Players Mentioned

Jessika Carter

Lauren Park-Lane

Mississippi State University Athletics