Bulldogs lose road game to Tigers 75-62
COLUMBIA, Mo. – It was a tough blow to the NCAA Tournament hopes for the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Thursday night.
The Bulldogs got off to a good start in their road matchup against the Missouri Tigers, but the ending was not to their liking as they lost a 75-62 decision.
MSU head coach Sam Purcell saw his team's record drop to 18-8 overall and 7-6 in the Southeastern Conference.
“We're fighting for something,”purcell said. “We had some things that we were prepared for. You've got to find a way and stay together.”
The Bulldogs were without the services of Jessika Carter, who missed the game due to an illness.
Jerkaila Jordan hit a pair of 3-point field goals to start the game and another by Ahlana Smith increased the MSU lead to 9-0 before Missouri could score.
The Tigers came back to take a 25-23 lead in the second quarter and held their largest advantage of five points with 1:40 in the second quarter at 30-25.
The Bulldogs got to within 32-28 at the halftime intermission.
MSU had a 7-0 run in the second half to take a 41-40 lead on another 3-pointer by Smith. The Bulldogs had a pair of one-point leads in the third quarter, but an 11-0 run put Missouri up 53-43 in the final minute of the third quarter.
Smith led the Bulldogs with 17 points, while Jordan also scored in double digits with 14 points.
The next action for MSU will be at home Sunday against Alabama. The tip is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
“They make you work hard and they are just tough,” Purcell said.
South Carolina 87, Florida 56
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Zia Cooke scored 22 points and No. 1 South Carolina won its 32nd straight game 87-56 over Florida on Thursday night.
The Gamecocks (26-0, 13-0 Southeastern Conference) showed no hangover from their 88-64 win over then-third-ranked LSU this past Sunday and moved a step closer to their seventh regular-season league title under coach Dawn Staley.
Nina Rickards scored 16 points for the Gators (14-12, 3-10), who continued their SEC struggles since losing leading scorer Zippy Broughton the in preseason.