Skip to main content
Mississippi State
Join Now

Mississippi State takes Emerald Coast Classic Championship in 69-47 win vs. Middle Tennessee

3rupauk8_400x400by: Robbie Faulk7 hours agoRobbieFaulkOn3

Sam Purcell’s message to his team after Monday’s win over Alcorn State was that Mississippi State would have to bring it to take down a tough Middle Tennessee team.

The Bulldogs had a 24-point lead in the second half but the Blue Raiders would not give up and fought back into the game. Ultimately, State pushed back down on the gas pedal and would take a 69-47 victory to win the Bay Bracket of the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Fla.

“Just growth – that’s our business,” coach Sam Purcell said after the win. “With so many new faces, can we fly the plane and build it while it’s in the air. Enjoy the journey, enjoy the lessons. The kids were tough. Just a collective effort that I couldn’t be more proud of.”

It was a game won in the paint on both ends for State as the Bulldogs outscored MTSU 42-18 and had five blocked shots on the defensive end. Favour Nwaedozi and Madison Francis were the key cogs for the Bulldogs as Francis filled up the stat sheet with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, six rebounds, six blocks and three assists.

“She’s just a complete player,” Purcell said of Francis. “Her energy in the film rooms and in walk through is real. That’s leadership. She sets the tone and then the other kids that don’t have that personality take it on.”

Nwaedozi had 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and six rebounds. Chandler Prater had 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting with five rebounds and four assists.

Fouls would keep the Blue Raiders in the game as State had 21 of them in the game. Three different players were in foul trouble as Nwaedozi, Francis and Kharyssa Richardson all had four fouls.

State came out fired up in the game as the Bulldogs clamped down defensively and had an 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, it was 35-19 and State would build on that in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs took the lead out to as much as 49-24 with 3:38 left in the third quarter, but State let off the gas a bit. After MTSU had a 14-0 run that went through the end of the third quarter and into the fourth, State would begin to get back on track.

MTSU had the lead down to 51-39 in the first minute of the fourth quarter before State would close the game on an 18-8 advantage. The final 2 minutes saw State score the last seven points of the game.

State finished the game shooting a strong 55% from the field as the Bulldogs hit 27-of-49 with 5-of-11 makes from three and a 10-of-13 day from the free throw line. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Blue Raiders 30-24 with a 20-assist game from the team. Destiney McPhaul led the way as a passer with the senior dishing out five assists to go along with nine points.

Mississippi native Macie Phifer finished with 13 points for the Blue Raiders (3-4) as she led the team in scoring on 4-of-7 shooting and also pulled down nine of the team’s 24 rebounds. The freshman was a legendary figure at Ingomar High School in multiple sports.

The Bulldogs (6-1) will travel back home to Starkville on Tuesday and prepare for a Sunday matchup at Humphrey Coliseum against Louisiana Monroe. Game time is at 2 p.m. on SEC Network +.

You may also like