Point-guard play sparks State to success early in this season
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Mississippi State’s point guards have been good at protecting the basketball.
In the last two games for the Bulldogs, the combo of senior Morgan William and junior Jazzmun Holmes have had a combined 28 assists and only two turnovers. William has had 24 assists and no turnovers by herself in the first three games of the season.
William had nine assists and no turnovers, while Holmes came in to provide seven assists and only one turnover in Sunday’s 91-56 victory over Southern Mississippi at Humphrey Coliseum.
“That gives you a chance to win,” MSU coach Vic Schaefer said about the assist-turnover ratio from his point guards. “When you are turning the ball over, those are points you don’t have a chance to get. When you have 20 turnovers, that’s 40 points you don’t have a chance to score if you are just shooting two.
“Our point-guard play is critical and they are both playing well on both ends. The ball pressure is really good and I think they set the tone offensively. I think everybody behind them sees that, so they play pretty hard behind them. I think our point guard play is really solid right now.”
One player especially saw what accepting the pass from either William or Holmes can produce.
Roshunda Johnson led the Bulldogs with 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field, but she said that can’t happen unless the point guards are finding her for open looks on the court.
“It’s something we work on at practice all the time,” Johnson said. “Just to know they can draw to and kick it out to the shooters, that really helps in the game. When they draw two, it’s easier for shooters like me and Blair in knowing we can shoot and attack.”
The Golden Eagles have had to deal with having to slow down William and Holmes for the last two seasons now with little success.
During last year’s meeting in Hattiesburg, William and Holmes combined for nine assists in a 7250 win by the Bulldogs.
“They are two fine players who fill the leadership role on their team,” Southern Miss coach Joye LeeMcNelis said of William and Holmes “They are able to orchestrate and do things.”
As the point guard for MSU, William has now over 500 career assists. With her fifth assist against the Golden Eagles, William hit the 500 mark and finished the game with 504 career assists. Holmes increased her career assist total to 182. Schaefer said William and Holmes are “setting the tone” right now for the team.
“You have two point guards that you have no drop off with,” Schaefer said. “Jazz will come in and her jets are even faster, but both of them see the floor so well in transition and are able to find (Roshunda Johnson) and (Blair Schaefer) where they like to be.”