On Thursday, two of the top 25 NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball teams met in hopes of coming out with a victory to move up in the standings. The NO. 4 South Carolina Gamecocks traveled to Humphrey Coliseum Arena, the NO. 21 Mississippi State Bulldogs home. Despite being a top 25 ranked team, the Bulldogs did not show up to play and took home a devastating defeat, being beaten by more than 20 points at 75-52.
At first, this match was shockingly close. By the end of the first, the Bulldogs were head of the Gamecocks, but only by a point. A 1-point lead would not be enough to settle this game, and the Gamecocks bounced back stronger than before. As the second quarter rolled around, the Gamecocks posted 26 points more points, making the score 36-23 heading into halftime with the advantage. Mississippi State only managed 11 points in the first quarter and 12 in the second.
For the rest of the match, the Gamecocks dominated the opposing team’s home court. After halftime, the Bulldogs didn’t stand a chance at a comeback, and the gap in points got more significant by the minute.
The Gamecocks starting Guard Zia Cooke was outstanding, earning 19 points with 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Cooke also made 6 field goals and a three-pointer. Her teammate and starting Forward Victoria Saxton was not far off her with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists. Saxton also collected 5 field goal attempts. Working together, these two girls were unstoppable.
Although the Bulldogs fought hard to defend their home court, they didn’t mesh together as a team when they needed it the most. Nevertheless, some players did have a decent game. Jessika Carter accounted for 12 points and 6 field goals. Myah Taylor came in behind her with 10 points, 3 field goals, and 2 three-pointers.
Even though Carter and Taylor put up good numbers for their squad, neither was the Bulldogs leading scorer of the night. Rickea Jackson game in the game off the bench and made all the difference for her team. Once hitting the court, Jackson put up 15 points, 7 field goals, and a free throw. She played well, and even though her efforts were not enough alone to raise her team above, she was a big part of Mississippi State’s plays.
When looking at the game’s final statistics, it is clear to see why the Gamecocks walked away with such an easy win. Only having 13 turnovers and getting 9 steals was a gamechanger in favor of the Gamecocks. However, the final score wasn’t the only place where the gap was this large. Looking at percentages, practice does make perfect, and it’s evident why the Gamecocks are a top 5 team. Opposed to the Bulldogs, who only made just over 33% of free throws, the Gamecocks obtained an 86.4% of completed attempts. The same results were when looking at field goals, the Gamecocks with 40.9% while the Bulldogs fell way behind with 33.8%. The only place in stats where the Bulldogs obtained better points was in three-pointers, with 21.4% going through the basket.
It was a tough loss for the Bulldogs, but they are prepared to face their next opponent and play with more heart and determination.
Up Next
Up Next
The Gamecocks look to continue their 10 game winning streak and take on Alabama at home on Sunday, January 31st at 3:00 ET. This match will take place at Colonial Life Arena; it is not clear what channels will be showing this game.
The Bulldogs will attempt to take on No. 20 Tennessee at home on Thursday, February 4th at 8:00 ET. The game is set to be played at Humphrey Coliseum Arena, and it is still unclear what channels are going to broadcast the match.
