Mississippi State Women’s Basketball Visits No. 3 South Carolina

Mississippi State women’s basketball will play its eighth ranked opponent in 10 Southeastern Conference games when it visits South Carolina on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia. The game will air on SEC Network and be available on the MSU Radio Network in Starkville.

The Bulldogs enter the matchup with a 16-7 record overall and a 3-6 mark in conference play. They are coming off a 77-52 victory over No. 15 Tennessee last week. Madison Francis, a freshman, was named SEC Freshman of the Week after averaging 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals in those games, according to MSU athletics.

Francis has blocked 66 shots this season, ranking ninth in single-season program history. Kharyssa Richardson contributed 21 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in last week’s games. She has scored 20 or more points four times this season, all in conference play, after doing so only once previously in her career. Trayanna Crisp set a career high with six three-pointers in a win over Missouri, averaging 3.2 threes over her last five games with a 43.2% shooting percentage.

South Carolina enters the game on a three-game winning streak after beating Texas A&M 71-56 last week. The Gamecocks are 22-2 overall and undefeated at home, with a 12-0 record in Columbia. Leading scorer Joyce Edwards averages 20.3 points per game. Ta’Niya Latson (15.2), Tessa Johnson (14.1), and Madina Okot (13.4) also average double figures, with Okot pulling down 9.9 rebounds per game.

Mississippi State trails South Carolina 19-28 in the all-time series. The Gamecocks have won 14 of 20 matchups in Columbia. The Bulldogs’ last victory over South Carolina was on March 3, 2019.

Source: Original Article