If you asked Vic Schaefer prior to the season if he would take a 2-1 finish at inaugural Gulf Coast Showcase, the Mississippi State second-year women’s basketball coach would have said yes.
Nearly three days after losing to Middle Tennessee State in the tournament’s championship game, Schaefer still views his team’s showing at the three-day, eight-team event in Florida as a positive.
Now, though, Schaefer, his coaching staff, and his players want more. That thinking is a testament to how much progress MSU has made since the start of the 2013-14 season. Not only is MSU 7-1 and on track to reaching its goal of getting back to the postseason, it also has positioned itself to climb to greater heights. The next step in that journey will come at 7 tonight when MSU plays host to Louisiana-Lafayette at Humphrey Coliseum. WKBB-FM 100.9 in the Golden Triangle and WXWX-FM 96.3 in Tupelo will broadcast the game live. Live video and audio streams also will be available to HailStateTV subscribers at www.hailstate.com/hstvlive.
The game is part of a six-game stretch that will complete MSU’s non-conference schedule. Five of the games will be at home, including a Dec. 14 game against Southern Miss., leaving only a trip to Fargo, N.D., for a game Dec. 17 against North Dakota State.
After that stretch, MSU will kick off Southeastern Conference play Jan. 2, 2014, at Florida.
Schaefer and the Bulldogs returned to practice Tuesday after an “off day” traveling back to Mississippi. The trip included a 71-62 victory against Grand Canyon and a 65-52 victory against James Madison, a game Schaefer called his team’s best to date.
National basketball analyst Debbie Antonelli backed up Schaefer’s assessment by tweeting, “Best Miss. St. team I’ve seen since days of Tan White and LaToya Thomas.”
Considering MSU went 13-17 (5-11 in the SEC) last season and has three freshman and a junior college transfer playing significant minutes this season, that’s saying a lot, and it begs the question how much can this year’s team accomplish?
While pleased to get two victories and to finish ahead programs from Bowl Championship Series conferences like UCLA and North Carolina State, Schaefer doesn’t want his team to settle for second place.
“We were very disappointed not just in losing but in how we played,” Schaefer said. “We had people crying in the locker room (after the loss). I take that as a good sign of where our expectation level is. With this team, there has been a lot of growth and a lot of good things in a shot amount of time. That being said, expectations have changed.”
Schaefer said the expectations for this year’s team, which were to end a three-year postseason drought and get back to the postseason, are higher now because of the team’s start. He said he hasn’t been surprised by the early success because he and his coaches expect their teams to perform at a high level. Still, with so many new players — and with all four healthy and eligible players playing key roles — Schaefer can’t help but be excited about where his team could go this season. He said his team missed shots it had hit all year in the first half of a 62-48 loss to Middle Tennessee State on Sunday. MSU was a season-worst 5 of 28 (17.9 percent) from the field in the opening half. It rebounded to outscore MTSU (4-3) 33-32 in the second half.
Junior college transfer Savannah Carter, who led MSU with 14 points against MTSU, knew at the start of the final game the team didn’t have the same “vibe” it had against James Madison, a 2013 Women’s National Invitation Tournament quarterfinalist. She said everyone was ready to play and the Bulldogs were eager to prove a point. Against MTSU, though, she said the team showed signs of playing its third game in three days.
“We can’t worry about being tired. It’s a mind-set thing,” Carter said. “We will get it under control.”
Junior Kendra Grant agreed, saying the team has to build on the effort it had against James Madison in which it played with a lot of energy, forced 21 turnovers, and held JMU to 29.1 percent shooting from the field. Grant (16 points), Martha Alwal (19), and Katia May (14) also scored in double figures to lead a solid offensive showing.
“The second game was by far our best,” Grant said. “We were all on the same page. The defensive end was turned up. That is how we should have played the last game as well.”
Grant knows the coaches will take several teaching points from the loss to MTSU and will make sure MSU learns how to improve. She said the feeling at the end of that game is one the Bulldogs don’t want to have again, and she believes it will push them to go harder and higher.
“I think the biggest difference (from last season) is we are hungry,” Grant said. “We know what we can accomplish and we all know what we can do. Coach is constantly in our ears telling us we can be a special team.”
NOTES: Schaefer said junior point guard Jerica James, who hurt her shoulder on the trip, is “day to day.” He said she is limited and didn’t practice Tuesday. … Schaefer also said he is still waiting on the NCAA to get the paperwork it needs to rule freshman center Chinwe Okorie eligible. He said Okorie, who injured her foot, is out of a cast and is in a boot. He said she is close to being able to put on a shoe and to do some things. … MSU associated head coach/pitching coach Butch Thompson will be the guest speaker Thursday for the team’s first Hail State Hoops Luncheon. In addition to Thompson, attendees will hear from Schaefer, his staff, and players. MSU will hold six luncheons this season in Mize Pavilion. Doors will open at 11:15 a.m. The cost is $12 per luncheon, or $60 for all six dates. In addition to lunch and the program, attendees will be entered for the chance to win some great door prizes. To RSVP, call 662-325-0198.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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