Mississippi State Starts Road Trip At Alabama

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women's basketball makes the short trip to face Alabama inside Coleman Coliseum on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

GAME INFORMATION
Mississippi State [20-8, 7-6 SEC] at Alabama [20-8, 7-6 SEC]
Date: Sunday, Feb. 25 | Time: 4:00 p.m. CT
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. [Coleman Coliseum – 15,383]
Watch: SEC Network
Listen: MSU Radio Network - Starkville 96.1

Fans who are not in attendance can follow action on SEC Network with Eric Frede and Christy Thomaskutty on the call or through their Mississippi State radio station with Jason Crowder. Live statistics will be available through the link attached above.

Mississippi State trails in the all-time series 39-24 and 17-12 at Alabama. Mississippi State has won both contests under head coach Sam Purcell and four of the last five at Alabama.

At No. 29 in the latest update, Alabama will be the highest-ranked opponent remaining and third-highest overall ranked opponent per NET on the schedule. Mississippi State is currently ranked No. 39 in the NET.

Mississippi State runs through graduate student center Jessika Carter, who is currently averaging a double-double with career-best marks in points, rebounds and minutes. She is averaging 15.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks on 53.3 percent from the field in 31.8 minutes per contest.

Carter has recorded 12 double-doubles this season - her best single-season total - and 40 for her career. She is one of six SEC players with 10-plus double-doubles this season and her career total ranks second among active conference players.

Carter finished with 20 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks in 37 minutes last time out versus Kentucky on Feb. 22. The effort marked the first 20-plus points and 20-plus rebound performance for Mississippi State since Teaira McCowan on Jan. 17, 2019.

Mississippi State has accumulated a 7-3 record in away games and 10-3 overall mark - when accounting for neutral site contests - away from home this season.

Head coach Sam Purcell became the first head coach in school history – men's or women's – to record consecutive 20-plus win seasons to start their tenure this season. He is also one of 11 SEC head coaches all time to notch 20 or more wins in each of their first two seasons and one of five since 2000. Purcell's 42 overall, 16 SEC and two NCAA Tournament victories also lead all head coaches in program history through their first two seasons.

Mississippi State has earned seven weekly conference honors this season with five SEC Player of the Week honors and two Freshman of the Week accolades. The seven total weekly conference honors have been awarded to six different players. Carter is one of three players in the SEC to earn multiple Player of the Week honors this season and the seven total honors are the program's most since 2018-19.

Graduate student guard Lauren Park-Lane leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally with 171 assists this season. 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 11 of 13 SEC contests and in 24 of 28 overall.

Park-Lane has dished out 36 assists over the last five games and is currently averaging 6.1 per contest, which is 12th nationally and stands as the second-best single-season assist average in program history.

It all starts inside the paint for Mississippi State behind its reigning All-SEC posts in Carter and graduate student forward Erynn Barnum. Mississippi State is averaging 37.4 points in the paint per game and have tied or outscored nine of its 13 SEC opponents in the category.

Barnum has scored 10-plus points in each of the last six contests and is averaging 16.0 points on 62.5 percent from the field over the latest stretch. She has scored 10-plus points in 14 overall contests this season.

Senior guard Jerkaila Jordan is also posting one of the best seasons of her career with a team-high 16.4 points and 2.3 steals, in addition to career-high marks in rebounds, assists and minutes with 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. Jordan has led the team in points in 14 games and has scored 10-plus points in 23 of 28 contests this season.

First off the bench for Mississippi State is often senior guard Darrione Rogers - who leads all Bulldogs reserves in points, rebounds, assists and minutes. Rogers is averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 22.2 minutes per game.

Sophomore Debreasha Powe remains one of the conference's best threats from behind the arc and is connecting on a career-best 40.9 percent on 56-131 from three this season - an +10.7 percent increase from her freshman year. Her 56 three pointers and 40.9 percent rank third in the SEC.

Mississippi State remains on the road to face Auburn inside Neville Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

Mississippi State Starts Road Trip At Alabama

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Players Mentioned

Erynn Barnum

Jessika Carter

Jerkaila Jordan

Lauren Park-Lane

Debreasha Powe

Darrione Rogers

Mississippi State University Athletics