STARKVILLE — Great teams need floor generals.
With depth and experience at every position, Mississippi State women’s basketball coach has the luxury of having leaders all over the court, but there is no question junior point guard Morgan William is the engine that drives the Bulldogs.
Even though William isn’t MSU’s most vocal player, she has kept a steady hand in her first two seasons in Starkville and gained the confidence of her teammates and coaches.
On Sunday, William offered a glimpse of what a louder and more vocal point guard could bring to the table. William scored a team-high 21 points, had four assists (zero turnovers), and was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line in a 74-64 victory against Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The win was the program’s first in Knoxville.
“She was a leader,” MSU senior guard Dominique Dillingham said. “She was telling everyone everywhere to go and was just very vocal with us. That is what you like to see out of your point guard.”
William set the tone with 11 points in the first quarter after the Bulldogs struggled at the start. She then hit 5 of 6 free throws in the final 50 seconds to help push No. 4 MSU to 17-0 and 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference.
MSU can equal the program’s best start of 2014-15 at 8 tonight when it plays host to Florida (9-7, 0-3) at Humphrey Coliseum. The game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network. It also will be broadcast locally on WKBB-FM 100.9.
William is shooting a career-best 50.5 percent from the field and averaging a career-high 11.4 points per game, which is second on the team to Victoria Vivians (16.7 ppg.).
“We couldn’t get our offense going in the first quarter, and I don’t really know what the problem was, but she put it on her shoulders to make sure we weren’t going to get down,” MSU junior guard Blair Schaefer said. “She made it a point that she is an offensive threat, too. She really got us going against Tennessee.”
A return to health has helped William return to form. Last season, a fracture in William’s right leg affected her quickness and driving ability. Still, William improved her scoring by more than half a point to 9.7 points per game (10.9 in the SEC) and shot a team-best 84.4 percent from the free-throw line. This season, she appears more confident looking for her shot in half-court sets and is better equipped to push tempo.
Improved play from sophomore point guard Jazzmun Holmes also has contributed to William’s performance. Holmes is averaging 13.1 minutes per game and is second on the team in assists (59). William leads the way in assists (66) and steals (33).
“Jazz has come a long, long way handling the ball and not turning it over and making good decisions,” MSU coach Vic Schaefer said.
Blair Schaefer echoed those sentiments when she said she thought William was more focused and could be heard better because she was more vocally. She said William tends to use hand motions and usually is quieter when she leads the team.
It was a different story Sunday. You could tell William understood the significance of the victory after the game.
“I mean it’s big time. It’s another SEC win. It’s great,” William said. “It’s great to be a part of history with my teammates but right now, it’s on to the next game.”
Coach Schaefer praised William’s competitiveness in his post-game comments. He also said William is just one of many players who have been instrumental in the Bulldogs’ rise to national prominence in the last four seasons.
“In this game it’s hard to judge when you’re recruiting sometimes, unless you’re real thorough and do your homework, what’s inside a kid’s breastplate,” Schaefer said. “I think our staff does a great job, I think you saw today, if you don’t see us play a lot, what our kids have inside their breastplate, their chest. Tremendous heart, competitive fire, I mean they’re just competitors.”
NOTES: Vivians was named Wednesday to the John R. Wooden Award® Midseason Top 25. Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts, the list features 25 of the nation’s top players. South Carolina’s Alaina Coates and A’ja Wilson are the only other SEC players on the list. … Doors will open at 6:30 tonight. Tickets cost $5 for adults, and students 18 and under get in free. MSU students also get in free with a valid student ID. Fans can purchase tickets in advance at www.hailstate.com/tickets. … The game will see the debut of the Student Lounge, an enclosed area outside the student gate on the west side of the Coliseum. The lounge, which will be open from 5:30-7:45 p.m. and again at halftime, will offer MSU students a pre-game tailgating lounge atmosphere and include early entry into the game, free popcorn, and specialty drinks, seven big screen televisions, gaming consoles, and more. Bully’s Kidz Kourt in Mize Pavilion will open at 6:30 p.m.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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