DALLAS — Morgan William sweats the details.
As point guard, it’s William’s job to make sure the Mississippi State women’s basketball team runs smoothly.
There’s no place for seven turnovers in that equation.
That’s how many turnovers William had March 5 in a 59-49 loss to South Carolina in the championship game of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
“I had a lot of points (14), but I turned the ball over too much,” William said. “I had more turnovers than assists, and that is not good.
“I am supposed to be point guard leading people and setting them up for shots and great opportunities and I didn’t.”
William fit that bill in the third quarter, scoring eight points to help the Bulldogs build a 45-40 lead with 10 minutes to go. But South Carolina used a 19-4 final quarter to beat MSU for the second time this season and complete a sweep of the SEC’s regular-season and tournament titles.
“We didn’t score until the six-minute mark and the four-minute mark,” William said. “We just weren’t executing and we were turning the ball over. It wasn’t a good game for us.”
William will try to do better at 5 p.m. today (ESPN) when MSU (34-4) takes on South Carolina (32-4) in the championship game of the NCAA tournament at American Airlines Center.
MSU and South Carolina are making their first appearance in the national championship game. MSU is coming off a 66-64 overtime victory against four-time reigning national champion Connecticut, while South Carolina defeated Stanford 62-53.
South Carolina enters the third matchup riding a 10-game winning streak in the series. It is one of only two schools (Kentucky is the other) MSU coach Vic Schaefer hasn’t beaten in his five seasons as head coach in Starkville.
“Our kids, they understand what’s in front of us,” Schaefer said. “They understand the challenges we’ve had. They understand the things we’ve got to adapt and fix.”
Schaefer said the Bulldogs addressed those areas of concern immediately after returning from the SEC tournament. He said he used bits and pieces of the game film from the second game against the Gamecocks to highlight where the Bulldogs needed to improve. The fruit of that labor has been evident in the NCAA tournament, as MSU scored 110, 92, 75, and 94 points in its first four games.
Looking back
MSU senior forward Ketara Chapel and redshirt junior guard Roshunda Johnson said they have seen improvement.
“I think we’ve come a long way from that game,” Johnson said. “We knew where we wanted to be and we knew we should have won that game. We have been working on a lot of stuff and we have been using it here and there for other games. We are prepared for this moment, and now we just have to bring it home.”
Said Chapel, “They came out and punched first in the first quarter, but then we fought back. It was a tough game, but we let them win that battle at the end. I just feel like we’re a different team than a month ago. I guess you could say we played them a month ago and they’re a different team, so it will be a great matchup.”
Chapel said the fourth quarter sticks out because that’s when the Gamecocks made their run and the Bulldogs weren’t unable to respond. The loss left a different feeling with the Bulldogs than they had following a 64-61 loss to the Gamecocks on Jan. 23 in Columbia, South Carolina. MSU had several open looks at the basket in the final minutes of the first matchup, which is part of the reason the players feel confident about their chances today.
Looking forward to tonight
The Bulldogs have added reason to be confident because they feel their work on offense has paid off and helped them address the issues that plagued them against the Gamecocks.
“I think we’re looking forward to it, and I think we’re prepared for that moment now that we know the mistakes we had and the little errors that could have won the game,” Johnson said. “We know we have to execute everything in order to win. That’s what we’re here to do.”
Said Chapel, “I can definitely say our offense was stagnant in that game, so when we came back we watched a lot of film and worked on a bunch of offense that whole week. Our offense has been great ever since.”
William is a perfect example. The junior point guard had a career-high 41 points in the victory against Baylor. She also had the game-winning shot as time expired in overtime to help end UConn’s 111-game winning streak. Today, she will look to erase the memory of that seven-turnover performance just like she and the Bulldogs earned redemption Friday for their 60-point loss to the Huskies last season in the Sweet 16.
“I am definitely going to be worried about taking care of the ball, but I also am going to be looking to get my teammates involved and make the right decisions this time,” William said.
NOTE: MSU fans are invited to attend a national championship game watch party today in Humphrey Coliseum for the women’s basketball team. Doors to the Hump will open at 4 p.m. Admission is free. Concessions will be available. Outside food and drinks will not be permitted. Cowbells will be allowed in Humphrey Coliseum. The SEC Network and ESPN will be on hand for live segments.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
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Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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