Mississippi State Women's Basketball Loses To South Carolina 85-66

The Bulldogs fell short of top-ranked South Carolina, still winless in Southeastern Conference play.

MSU drops to 0-2 in conference play after another tough loss. The Bulldogs started this game off right, at one point holding a five-point lead over the Gamecocks in the first quarter, but the number-one-ranked team soon flexed their muscle. 

South Carolina had four scorers hit double-figures, and the depth of the Gamecocks proved to be the difference. The Gamecocks had 26 bench points compared to only 13 for MSU, and as Dawn Staley continued to roll out fresh bodies, the lead swelled. 

The Bulldogs played incredibly hard throughout the 40 minutes, but the size and depth of the Gamecocks were overwhelming for MSU. USC has won over 50 straight games inside their home arena, and the Gamecocks successfully controlled the Bulldogs' dangerous perimeter shooting.  

The Bulldogs were held to just 15.8% from beyond the arch, while the Gamecocks shot 50% from three-point range. Perhaps the most significant difference in this game was the offensive rebounds for USC, as they seemingly always got an offensive board and a bucket when the Bulldogs were making a run. 

A bright spot for the Bulldogs was senior guard Jerkaila Jordan, who led all scorers with 25 points. Senior forward Jessika Carter was again held in check for MSU as she only scored eight points. The Bulldogs need Carter to be a force in the post to reach their potential. 

The Bulldogs are talented, but they just ran into a very talented and deep Gamecock team. This is not the start Sam Purcell and his staff were hoping for, but the SEC is a deep conference, and MSU will have plenty of chances to right these wrongs. 

MSU can ill afford to drag their feet after these losses, as the Bulldogs travel to Arkansas Thursday for a matchup against the Razorbacks, and then they welcome their in-state rival Ole Miss to Humphrey Collesium. 

Mississippi State will continue to have quad-one opportunities as SEC play progresses, but despite the loss, the Bulldogs played with great effort and did not seem to be afraid of the moment. 

Live Updates For Mississippi State Women's Basketball at South Carolina