STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State women’s basketball team reaped the rewards Tuesday from another record-breaking season.
Junior Victoria Vivians was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference for the second-straight year, while junior Morgan William earned her first selection with a spot on the second team. Sophomore center Teaira McCowan claimed 6th Woman of the Year accolades, and senior Dominique Dillingham was named to the All-Defensive Team for the second time in as many seasons.
“They were all very, very deserving of their awards,” MSU coach Vic Schaefer said. “I think the respect they received is warranted and well deserved.”
MSU’s honorees played integral roles in leading the team to a 27-3 regular season and a 13-3 mark in the SEC. The finish helped the Bulldogs earn a No. 2 seed for the SEC tournament, which started Wednesday morning in Greenville, South Carolina. MSU earned a double bye based on its top-four seeding. It will play the winner of the Thursday’s game between seventh-seeded LSU and 10th-seeded Ole Miss at 5 p.m. Friday (SEC Network).
Vivians and William were named finalists for the Gillom Trophy, which is presented annually to Mississippi’s top women’s college basketball player, on Sunday.
Vivians is fifth in the SEC in scoring (17.2 points per game). She is scoring 18.1 ppg. in league play. The Carthage native ended the regular season averaging 23.3 ppg. in her final three games.
“It’s another good accomplishment,” Vivians said. “I wouldn’t be able to receive the award without my teammates, so I am grateful for my teammates and grateful to be put in position to be All-SEC First Team.”
Vivians scored double figures in 24-straight games and 28 of 30 games. She also had 10 games with 20-plus points, including 25 and 27 against Texas A&M and Kentucky, respectively.
Vivians is shooting 38.4 percent from the field, which is slightly better than at this point last season (38.3). Her rebounding numbers (4.4 per game) and her steals (48) are down slightly from last season (5.8, 56). The flip side is Vivians has attempted 52 more free throws and is shooting a higher percentage at the free-throw line this season (75.8) compared to last season (73.7).
“I think she is certainly taking better shots,” Schaefer said. “I still think she gets everybody’s best game plan and everybody’s best defender. She is the focal point, which is why it has allowed some of our other players to have good years — Morgan, Big T. I think that has really helped us, but I think she earns everything she gets because of the respect she has.”
William is averaging a career-best 10.1 ppg. and is shooting 46.2 percent from the field. The Birmingham, Alabama, native closed the regular season by scoring in double figures in three of her last four games, including 20 points at then-No. 22 Kentucky. William averaged 12.8 ppg. against ranked foes, including a 23-point showing in a victory against then-No. 8 Texas in November in Starkville.
William also has been stellar on defense, drawing a team-high 21 charges. She is 10th in the SEC in steals (1.7 per game).
“I am proud of her,” Schaefer said. “The kid has so much responsibility, and I think she has earned the respect across the country from a lot of publications, analysts, and coaches. They just think the word of her and that she is one of the top point guards in the country.”
William also is second in the SEC in assists in league games (5.4) and is first in the SEC in assist/turnover ratio (2.9). Her 4.6 assists average is third in the league, while her 2.2 cumulative assist/turnover ratio is fourth.
McCowan’s award comes a year after she earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman team. The Brenham, Texas, native averages 7.9 ppg. and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per game. She also leads the team and is ninth in the SEC with 1.3 blocks per game.
“Knowing I can come in and impact the game and help my teammates to play better makes me feel good about myself knowing I can do that for them,” McCowan said.
McCowan ended the regular season with three double-doubles, including two in the last five games. During that stretch she averaged 10.6 points and 11 rebounds per game.
“She has played a lot of minutes lately, more than (senior center) Chinwe (Okorie),” Schaefer said. “Chinwe has had some foul issues. I told her early on this was a goal of mine and I wanted her to really focus on coming in and really making an impact. She has really embraced it. The fact of the matter is she very easily could have been one of the top 16 and been second-team All-SEC. She has really impacted our team.”
Dillingham usually is asked to guard the opponent’s top perimeter player. This season, she drew 19 charges to raise her career tally to 127. The Spring, Texas, native has 22 steals in a season that saw her miss six games due to an injury.
“It is like one coach told me, she is the best defensive player in the league and you coached another one (Texas A&M’s Sydney Carter) you have always said is the best one you have ever coached,” Schaefer said. “It is a hard answer, but she is one of the top two defensive kids I have coached in my career and is very deserving. She is just a tough, tough, hard-nosed basketball player who is super competitive. I look for her to really come on here late and start doing some other things and impact our team.”
Dillingham is averaging 7.0 ppg. and is having the best shooting season of her career from the field, from3-point range, and from the free-throw line.
Missouri’s Robin Pingeton was named SEC Coach of the Year. South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson was named SEC Player of the Year. Florida’s Delicia Washington and Missouri’s Amber Smith were named SEC Co-Freshmen of the Year. LSU’s Raigyne Moncrief was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Auburn’s Katie Frerking was named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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