MS State cruises past Illinois in NCAA First Four

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Mississippi State continued its dance with a 70-56 win over Illinois in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. With the win, the Bulldogs earned their 21st win of the season and 23rd NCAA Tournament win all-time.

The Bulldogs went into halftime with a one-point lead after going back and forth with the Illini in the second quarter, which included six lead changes in the first half. Out of the locker room, State came full speed ahead, scoring 11 of the first 13 points and outscoring Illinois 21-8 in the third quarter. State’s defense dominated the third quarter, holding Illinois to its lowest third quarter field goal percentage of the season (9%).

Jessika Carter made herself known, putting up 22 points with nine rebounds on the night. Carter’s 22 points were the most scored in an NCAA Tournament game of his career. Carter added four blocked shots to her stat line, her seventh game of the season with at least four blocked shots.

Anastasia Hayes came out strong, scoring 11 points with a team-high seven rebounds and five assists. JerKaila Jordan was the only other Bulldog to score in double figures on Wednesday. After scoring only one point in the first half, Jordan came alive in the second half scoring 10 of his 11 points, including six points in the fourth quarter.

Game Notes

• State bench beat Illinois 20-6 • Ramani Parker knocked down two three-pointers in the first quarter, making it a triple.
• Hayes was perfect from the free-throw line knocking down six free throws in the first half.
• Mississippi State held Illinois to 9% shooting from the field while the Bulldogs shot 53% in the third quarter.
• Illinois scored just one goal in the third quarter
• Carter has now scored 20-plus points in six games this season
• The Bulldogs outrebounded Illinois 47-28, including a 16-7 advantage on the offensive glass.
• The state dished out 15 assists, with Illinois only having five.
• Ahlana Smith and Jordan each had three steals. • The Bulldogs improved to 14-3 in NCAA Tournament games since 2017.
• MSU improved to 4-4 all-time vs. the Big Ten in the NCAA Tournament.
• The country is 2-1 when leading by 11 in the big dance.

Quoting Coach Sam Purcell

When he won his first tournament game as head coach
“Here, you know you always ask for me. You ask for me. I don’t do that. Again, it’s not about me. I appreciate all the love and recognition, but I wouldn’t be sitting here today if I was there. I’m not training a group of young women that good. For me to have the first year to get Annie Hayes, JerKaila Jordan, and Jessika Carter, come on, the lottery. So again, my goal as a head coach is just to restore love. Love, like Annie said, she’s talking about AAU. People- this guy who plays AAU, he loves the game. We need Christmas. Let’s be a team. So to answer your question again, it’s awesome. I’m blessed with a group that believes in me. They believe in me. They have my back. And then you will see in the locker room video, he’s dancing with me too. I’m happy.”

Until Next Time
Mississippi State will take on No. 6 seeded Creighton Bluejays in the round of 64. This game is scheduled for Friday, March. 17 at 5:00 pm CT.