Tuesday, November 3
Starkville
6:30 p.m.
Mississippi State
1-0,0-0SEC
68
vs
27
North Alabama
0-1,0-0UAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Ala. | 6 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 27 |
| Mississippi St. | 15 | 13 | 18 | 22 | 68 |
November 03, 2026 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women's basketball forced a Purcell-era record of 33 turnovers in the first contest of the season, as the Bulldogs cruised to a 68-27 victory against the North Alabama.
"Great open to the season," head coach Sam Purcell said. "Anytime you get a new team with new pieces, the best thing that can happen is to play at home. In a game that had some ugliness, it was impressive on the defensive end."
Defense was the name of the game, as North Alabama's 27 total points were the second-fewest allowed in the Purcell era. It marked the fourth time in the last 10 seasons that the Bulldogs have held an opponent to 30 or less points.
State grabbed 20 steals as a team, which marked the most since the Bulldogs forced 20 in 2015. North Alabama shot 16.7 percent as a team, which was the lowest opposing field goal percentage since 2014.
Favour Nwaedozi grabbed her 16th career double-double with 14 points and rebounds. She also tied a career-high with three blocked shots and went 6-11 from the field. This was her 18th performance with double-digit rebounds.
"When we get rebounds, we are able to run and get good offense," Nwaedozi said. "We know defense creates offense, so we took pride in defending our rim and defending our home court."
Madison Francis collected 13 points, seven rebounds and collected three steals and three blocks. This marked 18th time in her short career that she picked up three or more rejections, while it was the seventh time she had swiped seven steals.
Reese Beaty grabbed nine points and totaled five assists for the Bulldogs. Tootie Lockett and Lani Smallwood each added eight points in their debuts. Lockett grabbed a pair of rebounds, while the youngest Smallwood added five rebounds and tied with Aryss Macktoon for the team-lead with four steals. Mackoon finished the contest with seven points.
"Great open to the season," head coach Sam Purcell said. "Anytime you get a new team with new pieces, the best thing that can happen is to play at home. In a game that had some ugliness, it was impressive on the defensive end."
Defense was the name of the game, as North Alabama's 27 total points were the second-fewest allowed in the Purcell era. It marked the fourth time in the last 10 seasons that the Bulldogs have held an opponent to 30 or less points.
State grabbed 20 steals as a team, which marked the most since the Bulldogs forced 20 in 2015. North Alabama shot 16.7 percent as a team, which was the lowest opposing field goal percentage since 2014.
Favour Nwaedozi grabbed her 16th career double-double with 14 points and rebounds. She also tied a career-high with three blocked shots and went 6-11 from the field. This was her 18th performance with double-digit rebounds.
"When we get rebounds, we are able to run and get good offense," Nwaedozi said. "We know defense creates offense, so we took pride in defending our rim and defending our home court."
Madison Francis collected 13 points, seven rebounds and collected three steals and three blocks. This marked 18th time in her short career that she picked up three or more rejections, while it was the seventh time she had swiped seven steals.
Reese Beaty grabbed nine points and totaled five assists for the Bulldogs. Tootie Lockett and Lani Smallwood each added eight points in their debuts. Lockett grabbed a pair of rebounds, while the youngest Smallwood added five rebounds and tied with Aryss Macktoon for the team-lead with four steals. Mackoon finished the contest with seven points.
The Bulldogs will be back in action this Sunday in Tennessee to take on UT Martin. Tipoff for the contest is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
Visit HailState.com for the latest news and information on women's basketball. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateWBK' on X, Facebook and Instagram. 
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballTeam Stats
UNA
MS
FG%
.167
.422
3FG%
.077
.211
FT%
.412
.667
RB
44
45
TO
33
18
STL
7
20
Game Leaders
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Tuesday, November 03
Tuesday, November 03
Tuesday, November 03
Thursday, October 29