STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State women’s basketball team might have found someone to take a little bit of the scoring load off the shoulders of Victoria Vivians.
Three days after MSU coach Vic Schaefer said the Bulldogs might need other players to share more of the scoring burden with Vivians, Roshunda Johnson responded with an effort that said she is ready.
The Oklahoma State transfer scored seven of her nine points in a span of 2 minutes, 58 seconds in the fourth quarter to help push No. 4 MSU to a 71-61 victory against Texas A&M before a crowd of 7,780 at Humphrey Coliseum.
“Ro was really special during that time,” Schaefer said. “She made some really big shots. She is coming. I have been saying that for a while now. She is starting to do some really good things. She is getting her quickness back and she is getting that shot back. When we were dying there on the vine, she really was a good answer.”
Vivians had a team-high 18 points, while Morgan William (10 points, Southeastern Conference-best nine assists) and Teaira McCowan (10 points) also reached double figures. Johnson, Chinwe Okorie, and Dominique Dillingham had nine points in a balanced effort following a 64-61 loss to No. 5 South Carolina on Monday in Columbia, South Carolina.
Johnson played a starring role down the stretch with Vivians on the bench. The key stretch started at the 6:26 mark when Schaefer substituted and left Johnson on the court. At the start of the fourth quarter, Johnson and Vivians were on the floor at the same time, which is something Schaefer said could be an option as the Bulldogs searched for another offensive option to take some of the pressure off Vivians. Johnson responded after Okorie scored in the post off a pass from Breanna Richardson to stop a 7-0 run by Texas A&M (15-6, 5-3 SEC).
“I was kind of feelin’ it, but I knew they would make a run, so we needed a stop,” Johnson said. “Just being aggressive the whole time and having that mind-set really helped.”
Johnson’s attacking mind-set came through as she took advantage of a one-on-one opportunity on the left wing and beat her defender to the rim for a layup. She then took a handoff from William and drained a 3-pointer that kicked the lead to 62-52 with 4:24 remaining. The 5-foot-7 redshirt junior capped the spurt by confidently draining a jump shot off a screen to push the advantage back to 10, 64-54.
Texas A&M cut the deficit to 64-57 on a 3-pointer by Curtyce Knox (game-high 20 points), but MSU (21-1, 7-1) hit 7 of 8 free throws in the final 1:19 to seal the deal.
Vivians replaced Johnson with 1:19 to go, but Schaefer said MSU couldn’t have weathered the storm and pulled away without Johnson. He said Vivians needed a rest earlier in the fourth quarter and that he had confidence Johnson could give the Bulldogs a spark.
“Ro is a two-year starter at Oklahoma State,” Schaefer said. “She probably would be playing a whole lot more of late if she hadn’t been so dinged up. She just has been beat up. She is finally getting some ankles healthy. She has had to deal with both of them. She is finally starting to feel good.”
Johnson scored 21 and 14 points against Villanova and Maine in her first two games with MSU. She added 15 key points in 30 minutes in a victory at Iowa State and had 13 points in a victory against SMU. After playing 24 and 22 minutes against USC and Alabama State, Johnson didn’t play against Northwestern State on Dec. 28, 2016. She played only 15 minutes in two of the team’s next four games (two did not plays), and then saw only six minutes in a victory against Ole Miss on Jan. 16.
Since then, though, she has logged 11 and 14 minutes and appears to be moving better and regaining the shooting touch that saw her hit at least one 3-pointer in her first eight games.
“I just feel like I have been more aggressive in practice and am just helping my team any way they need me to,” Johnson said. “Coach always talks about being more aggressive and attacking, and that’s just what I did tonight.”
Johnson said her attitude is key because she never knows when she is going to get her chance. She received her first opportunity with 4:20 to go in the first quarter when she replaced Jazzmun Holmes. Johnson didn’t last long, as William, who left the game after bumping knees with another player, replaced her with 3:43 left in the quarter. She said she can’t allow short stints like that one to alter her focus because she knows she likely will get another opportunity, like she did Sunday.
“It is always being prepared when my number is called and just executing the plays coach calls out,” Johnson said.
Schaefer reiterated his comments about Vivians when asked why she was out of the game late. He said the Bulldogs “have a really good team” and “a lot of players that can play.” Schaefer said he needs Vivians to relax a little bit and let things come to her. He felt she was “special” and made some great decisions in the first half.
Johnson’s effort Sunday was another example of MSU’s depth coming through at the right time. If she can stay healthy and play with the confidence she showed against Texas A&M, Schaefer just might have found at least one player who can help take the load off Vivians.
“I have got a better job coaching to take some of that load off (Vivians) because she doesn’t have to bear it,” Schaefer said. “She is on a really good team. … I think if she will kind of step back and take a breath, I think she will be a lot better.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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