Bulldogs to play Texas A&M-Commerce
Photo credit: Mississippi State Athletics
Final exams are complete and now it’s back to basketball. Mississippi State is back in action on Sunday at 5 p.m. when the Bulldogs host Texas A&M-Commerce in the first meeting between the two programs.
GAME INFORMATION
Mississippi State (7-2) vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (2-6)
Date: Sunday, Dec. 11 // Time: 5 p.m. CT
Location: Starkville, Miss. (Humphrey Coliseum)
Watch: SEC Network (Talent: Maura Sheridan & Christy Thomaskutty)
Listen: MSU Radio Network (Play-By-Play: Jason Crowder)
Numbers To Know
80 • Debreasha Powe is 1 of just 4 Mississippi State freshmen since the 2006-07 season to have scored at least 80 points in their first eight career games. She joins Victoria Vivians (141 points in 2014), Morgan Williams (108 points in 2014) and Rickea Jackson (86 points in 2019).
1K • Jessika Carter and JerKaila Jordan are both nearing 1,000 career points. Entering Sunday, Carter is just 66-points shy of becoming the 28th member of the 1,000-point club. Jordan is just 47-points shy of reaching the 1,000-point milestone in her impressive career. Jordan has scored 503 points at MSU and scored 450 at Tulane.
11 • Anastasia Hayes is just 11 assists shy of 500 in her career. When she reaches 500 career assists, she will be one of just 14 active players with 500 assists in a career. She is also tied for third for active scorers with 2,051 career points.
10 • The Bulldog defense has been strong this season State ranks inside the top 10 in multiple categories: Blocks Per Game (4th Nationally at 6 6), Field Goal Percentage Defense (5th Nationally at 31 8%) Scoring Defense (6th Nationally at 50 3 ppg) & Scoring Margin (9th at +26 8).
Series History
• This will be the first-ever meeting between MSU and A&M-Commerce.
Bulldog Takeaways
• Jessika Carter ranks 3rd in the NCAA and 1st in the SEC in blocked shots with 24.
• Carter has already recorded two games with six blocked shots, which is tied for the 4th most blocks in a game in the country.
• Carter also leads the team in scoring (13.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.3).
• State is forcing 20.7 turnovers per game and is averaging 24.3 points off those turnovers.
• MSU ranks 16th nationally in steals per game at 12.7.
• Mississippi State is allowing teams to score 50.3 ppg which is the 7th best scoring average against in the country.
• MSU’s 25 made free throws against Grambling were the most made free throws in a game since Nov. 9, 2019 when they made 25.
2023 Signing Class
• The early signing period ended on Wednesday, with Mississippi State signing four players for the 2023-24 season. The class was ranked as high as 16th nationally following the signing of Quanirah Cherry-Montague but should climb with the addition of junior college star Meloney Thames.
• Quanirah Cherry-Montague (Atlantic City, N.J.) – rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 48 player in the nation
• Jasmine Powell (Joliet, Ill.) – rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 54 player in the nation
• Mjracel Sheppard (Bellevue, Wash.) – rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 86 player in the nation
• Meloney Thames (Choctaw, Miss.) – Junior College All-American, Second in the nation in scoring (26.3 ppg)
