Mccray-penson’s State team takes turn at Georgia tonight

A tune-up stretch of games are over and the real games are here.

Southeastern Conference play begins today for the No. 12 Mississippi State women’s basketball team and, ready or not, the Bulldogs have to be at their best. Head coach Nikki Mccraypenson has done what she can to get her players prepared for the tougher slate of games ahead but now it’s up to the players to follow through with the game plan.

The team certainly has to be better than what it was in the first six games as MSU finished 5-1 in non-conference with a top 25 loss on the road at South Florida, but the Bulldogs haven’t been playing at the top of their game. The coach has noticed a difference with how they’ve attacked the first few days after Christmas break.

“They’ve been very different since we’ve been back,” Mccraypenson said. “I think the break was good. Knowing conference is coming up there’s a different mindset. We’re still a work in progress, but the attention to detail has still been there and we’ve had our two best practices since we’ve been back. It’s been very good to see. The things that I’ve challenged them with individually and as a team, they’re getting better.”

A few things that plagued MSU the most in the nonconference schedule were free throws, rebounding and defensive rotations. The Bulldogs are currently shooting just 60% as a team from the line. State is also holding a 10-point rebounding advantage over the non-conference teams despite often having a major advantage in size.

Simply put, Mccray-penson needs more out of her team as it faces off against a much bigger and more talented Georgia team tonight in Athens.

“They’re a very experienced team and the biggest thing is matching their experience,” Mccray-penson said. “We’re still young. We’re new as a staff, new to our system and our philosophy. This is Joni’s (Taylor) best team in a while. They have an identity about themselves. We’re going to have our hands full.”

Taylor’s team has risen to just outside of the top 25 in this week’s women’s basketball polls with a perfect 8-0 record and it returns much talent from a season ago. The other Bulldogs are averaging 81 points a game and being led by fifth-year senior Jenna Staiti in the post with her 15 points and 7.9 rebounds a game.

While the team has size, it also has the speed to get out in transition from other players like senior guard Gabby Connally as she averages 11 points per game. Mccray-penson has cautioned her team to be ready on the defensive end to take on an offense that is much improved from a season ago.

“The biggest thing is making sure our team is aware of what they want to do and how they want to score,” Mccray-penson said. “It goes back to matching the experience, being aware when the shot goes up, locating and sprinting back. That is awareness. Nothing is going to rattle this team, whether you’re up or down. We’ve got to sprint and match that experience.”

The two teams will meet in the New Year’s Eve matchup at Stegeman Coliseum 5:30 p.m. The game can be seen on the SEC Network.