No. 6 Mississippi State upset in overtime by South Florida

Bulldogs drop a 67-63 decision on the road

When Mississippi State head women's basketball coach Nikki McCray-Penson thinks back on her first-ever loss as the leader of the Bulldogs, one number is likely to jump to mind. That number? 23.

No. 6 MSU was upset on the road by South Florida on Saturday night. The Bulldogs fell 67-63 to drop to 2-1 for the season. In the process, McCray-Penson suffered her first defeat wearing the maroon and white and immediately in the aftermath, the No. 23 stuck out to her like a sore thumb.

"The story of the game is 23 offensive rebounds," McCray-Penson said, recounting all the South Florida boards on the offensive glass. "I thought for the most part we defended them in the half court, but we gave up 23 offensive rebounds. We can't do that."

Indeed the Bulldogs watched on as the Bulls hauled back in 23 of their missed shots. And South Florida certainly took advantage, racking up 25 second-chance points. And while all that might've certainly been the difference, it was by no means the only ingredient the Bulls used to pull this upset.

There was also the offensive inconsistency for State. MSU shot only 34 percent from the field (20-of-59). The Bulldogs were ice cold from beyond the arc, shooting only 15 percent (2-of-13) from three-point range.

MSU had the opportunity to make up for some of its misses by getting to the free throw line, however the Bulldogs weren't particularly successful there either, shooting only 62 percent from the charity stripe (21-of-34), thus leaving 13 possible points off the board. 

Then, there were the turnovers. State turned the ball over 21 times, accounting for 25 more South Florida points. Add it all up and 50 of South Florida's 67 points either came off a turnover or offensive rebound. It's near impossible for anyone, even the country's No. 6 team, to win on the road like that.

"Obviously it doesn't feel good to lose and to lose when you look at the stat sheet and it tells a story," McCray-Penson said.

There were flashes of good for MSU in the defeat. The Bulldogs outscored the Bulls 36-14 in the paint, though McCray-Penson believed that total could've been higher if not for missed MSU opportunities inside.

Also, three different Bulldogs eclipsed the 15-point mark for the night. Rickea Jackson led MSU with 18 points and nearly had a double-double as she also totaled nine rebounds. Aliyah Matharu scored 17 points. Jessika Carter tallied 15.

But in the end, none of that was enough. MSU led 19-11 after the first quarter, but everything was a grind from there for State. By the time the final buzzer sounded in overtime, all of the Bulldogs' mistakes had caught up to them.

"It's early and there are a lot of things that we can correct," McCray-Penson said. "It's a very good teaching moment."

As the schedule currently stands, State will have a nine-day layoff before trying to rebound from Saturday's defeat. MSU's next game is currently set for Monday, December 14 at 7 p.m. central when the Bulldogs are slated to host Troy at Humphrey Coliseum. However there's a chance MSU could see action before then.

State was originally set to play at Southern Miss on December 12, but that game was cancelled as the Golden Eagles deal with COVID-19 issues. McCray-Penson noted after Saturday's game that the Bulldogs are trying to schedule a game to fill in the gap.

"We're working to get a game without question," McCray-Penson said. "Hopefully we can get a game in the next couple of days and if not, we'll practice."

Mississippi State fell 67-63 to South Florida in overtime on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics)

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