State turns the tables on Creighton at NCAA Tournament

Mississippi State isn't close to being ready to finish its women's basketball season.

After a stellar second half against Illinois that led the way in the Bulldogs' First Four win, State wasn't satisfied. The Bulldogs were going up against one of the nation's top 3-point shooting team in Creighton and as the No. 11 seed against the No. 6 seed. MSU turned the tables.

Hitting a season high-tying 11 3-pointers and limiting the Blue Jays to just 26% from long range, the Bulldogs got a lead early and kept it. It led to an emphatic 81-66 win to advance to the second round.

“What a special group of women that I'm coaching,” MSU head coach Sam Purcell said. “I've got the best seat in the house. They've got that look. After that (Southeastern Conference Tournament game), we looked in the mirror. We have great chemistry but most importantly we believe in each other.”

Creighton decided to give State some room to shoot 3s and clog the paint to try and take Jessika Carter out of the game. It backfired.

The Bulldogs were en fuego from long range hitting 11-of-19 (58%). Jerkaila Jordan came alive with her 20 points as she picked up where she left off when she scored 11 points in the second half against Illinois. She was 7-of13 from the field and made 4-of-5 3-pointers.

Debresha Powe hit 3- of6 3- pointers herself and pulled in seven rebounds with nine points. State also got a 2- for- 2 night from long range from Asianae Johnson off the bench and 10 points. Five players scored in double figures with Carter scoring 14 points on 6- of- 9 and 10 rebounds.

Ahlana Smith finished with 10 points and five assists. Anastasia Hayes had 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

“They were sagging off so making that first three was kind of what got me going,” Hayes said. “I was driving to kick to find my teammates, finding the open reads and I knew they were going to knock it down.”

The 3-pointers were raining for the Bulldogs early hitting 5-of-6 in the first frame as the lead grew to 25-16 in the first quarter. It got up to as much as 17 in the first half but Creighton hit a few 3-pointers late in the second quarter and closed to 47-37 going into the halftime.

The Blue Jays wouldn't get it closer than nine points the rest of the way. State held Creighton to just eight points in the third to build that lead to as much as 20 in that frame and it grew to as much as 23 in the fourth.