STARKVILLE — The milestones keeping piling up for the No. 4 Mississippi State women’s basketball team.
On Thursday night, an 82-49 victory against Florida helped MSU match the 2014-15 team for the best start in program history at 18-0. MSU will get a chance to eclipse that mark at 6 p.m. Monday (SEC Network) when it play host to Ole Miss at Humphrey Coliseum.
The victory also pushed the Bulldogs to a 4-0 start in the Southeastern Conference for the first time.
MSU added to its list of accomplishments by recording the largest margin of victory in the history of the 46-game series with Florida. The Bulldogs’ previous largest margin of victory came in an 88-56 win on Nov. 26, 1979.
On Jan. 1, MSU recorded the largest margin of victory in the 55-game series with LSU in the 55-game series in a 74-48 victory in Starkville.
In addition to owning program-best rankings in The Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls, MSU and Connecticut (15-0) are the only remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I.
“I am going to give God the glory for 18-0,” Schaefer said. “This is the second time we have done it in three years. These kids have been magnificent. They continue to surprise me. I didn’t see that one coming today. I told you that after we played LSU.”
Student bolster
attendance
The return of students to MSU on Monday should aid attendance for the men’s and women’ basketball teams.
On Thursday night, the student sections at the Hump were nearly complete filled as part of the crowd of 5,575. Some of those students might have come out to get a first look at the Student Lounge, an enclosed area outside the student gate on the west side of the Coliseum that debuted Thursday night.
The lounge, which was open from 5:30-7:45 p.m. and at halftime, offered MSU students a pre-game tailgating lounge atmosphere as well as include early entry into the game, free popcorn, and specialty drinks, seven big screen televisions, gaming consoles, and more.
MSU Director of Athletics John Cohen praised the MSU marketing staff of Leah Beasley, Rhett Hobart, and Scott Wetherbee and said the school is willing to try new ideas to enhance game atmospheres and the student-athlete experience. He said the Student Lounge also will be open for men’s basketball games. The MSU men play host to Texas A&M at noon Saturday (WCBI).
“I want us to try everything to meet our fans halfway,” Cohen said. “I think it is a really cool environment and something that is really fun and different. … I love the concept, and I hope our students will give it a chance.”
Cohen said the Student Lounge is “an experiment” but something the school had to invest in. He said he loves the creativity of the marketing department because he wants MSU to continue to “aim high” to match the enthusiasm and effort he sees from the school’s men’s and women’s basketball teams.
“When you have the fourth-ranked team in the country and they are 17-0 and see the way coach Schaefer has put it all together, I think there is a deep appreciation,” Cohen said. “Mississippi State is a family, and I think our students, alumni, faculty, everybody connected with Mississippi State, can feel something special with men’s and women’s basketball. I just have complete and utter faith in our fans. I think they know something special is on the way.”
Schaefer noticed the number of students in the crowd. He credited the MSU administration for its efforts to enhance the atmosphere inside the Hump.
“I appreciate our marketing folks and what they are doing there. That is a great idea,” Schaefer said. “An 8 o’clock tip (on the SEC Network), some of my regulars are already in bed, so to get those students to make up for them was great. We have a 6 o’clock tip Monday night, so hopefully we will have everybody, including the students, in here and should have a great crowd. I thought the crowd was really great, loud as always.”
More praise for MSU
Florida coach Amanda Butler wasn’t pleased with a lot of what her team did against No. 4 MSU.
Butler lamented the Gators’ 27 turnovers and 39-percent field goal shooting percentage. She also didn’t care for her team’s defense, especially in the second and third quarters when MSU shot 56.3 percent.
“I am really disappointed that we didn’t show up and play our jobs better,” Butler said. “I don’t think there was either end of the floor that was particularly worse than the other.”
But Butler had plenty to like about MSU, which held Florida to its lowest point total of the season.
“I just told our team that very well might be a Final Four team,” Butler said. “I think they have that level of potential, and I am proud they are in our league. I just wish the Gators would have showed up and been ready to play a little differently today.”
Delicia Washington led Florida (9-8, 0-4 SEC) with 17 points. Ronni Williams, who entered the game as the team’s leading scorer (17.8 points per game) had 11 points and eight turnovers in 27 minutes.
The Gators are still adjusting to life without sophomore guard Eleanna Christinaki, who quit the team after playing in the first nine games. Christinaki has transferred to Maryland.
This and that
In the obscure statistic department, the 17 turnovers MSU has committed in its last two games is the fewest in a two-game stretch in Schaefer’s time at MSU. It is one better than the two-game stretch MSU had last season in the regular season in a loss to South Carolina and a win against Tennessee. … Junior guard Blair Schaefer took three of the Bulldogs’ six charges. Junior guard Morgan William took two and senior guard Dominique Dillingham took one. “I don’t know how many charges we took, but we took a bunch,” Schaefer said. “It gets louder in there when we take a charge than any shot we make.” … MSU had a 22-0 edge in second-chance points and a 27-8 advantage in points off turnovers. … Coach Schaefer said junior guard Roshunda Johnson and freshman forward Jacaira “Iggy” Allen weren’t available for the game.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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