STARKVILLE — Vic Schaefer’s message was clear: The Bulldogs needed to be tougher.
After watching South Carolina’s Bianca Jackson grab an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and Te’a Cooper bank in a 3-pointer from the left wing at the end of the third quarter, the Mississippi State women’s basketball coach implored his players to raise their level of play and not give the Gamecocks a chance to build on their momentum after cutting the deficit to one point.
MSU responded to Schaefer’s encouragement with one of its best responses of the season.
Teaira McCowan had 26 points and 24 rebounds, and Jordan Danberry had 20 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals Thursday night to lead No. 7 MSU to an 89-74 victory against No. 15 South Carolina in a Southeastern Conference game before a crowd of 10,006 at Humphrey Coliseum.
“I thought we just haven’t been winning, in my opinion, with the toughness plays,” Schaefer said. “You are sitting there thinking, ‘Is (Cooper’s 3-pointer) going to come back and haunt you?’ But no, it didn’t. Our kids really buckled down on defense and held them to 10 points in the fourth quarter.”
Jazzmun Holmes (12 points, five rebounds), Anriel Howard (11 points, six rebounds), and Bre’Amber Scott (11 points) also scored in double figures to help MSU (17-1, 5-0 SEC) move into sole possession of first place in the league. The team’s 21st-straight SEC regular-season victory and 30th-straight win in the Hump didn’t come without a cost, though, as Chloe Bibby was injured 35 seconds into the game. The sophomore starter crumpled to the court at the free-throw line making a move from the right wing. She appeared to favor her left knee as she was helped off the court. Bibby didn’t return.
“To have what happened to us tonight, y’all, it’s really what you dread as a coach,” Schaefer said. “To see our kids, our bench, our team rally and adjust, as a coach, you can’t be prouder.”
Late Friday morning, Schaefer announced in a MSU statement that Bibby would miss the rest of the season with a left knee injury.
Schaefer wasn’t as pleased after Cooper’s trey gave South Carolina (12-5, 4-1) the momentum entering the final quarter. The Tennessee transfer also hit a 3-pointer just before the horn at the end of the first quarter as part of a 3-point assault that helped keep the Gamecocks in the game.
But the Bulldogs turned the tide in the fourth quarter by turning up the intensity on defense and getting contributions from all comers. Danberry attacked the basket and dribbled into mid-range jump shots for six points in the last 10 minutes. McCowan had seven points by being a rebounding monster (12 offensive rebounds). Andra Espinoza-Hunter hit a 3-pointer from the right wing off a pass from Danberry that brought the crowd to its feet. Howard and Holmes also had four points in the final stanza to help MSU win on a night when it had a 49-24 rebounding advantage, its largest of the season. The Bulldogs had offensive rebounds on 23 of their 36 missed field goals (63.9 percent). They also had a 44-22 edge in points in the paint.
Scott, a sophomore guard, also played a crucial role in a career-high 27 minutes. She came on after Bibby left the game and attacked the basket and stretched the defense by hitting a 3-pointer.
“That just really says a lot about Scott, and also about this group up here,” Schaefer said referring to McCowan, Danberry, and Holmes who were with him in the post-game media session. “They really picked up the pieces, and we moved on. We had to adjust tonight, and we really struggled with them off the bounce.”
MSU was 7-for-12 from the field (58.3 percent) and held South Carolina to 4-for-20 shooting in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs used more zone defense in the final 10 minutes in an effort to slow down the Gamecocks. They also continued to attack the basket in response to Schaefer’s challenge.
“It was just a regular old drive,” South Carolina junior guard Tyasha Harris said. “We had to have protect on the help side and the weak side and we didn’t do too good on that part.”
Cooper, who also had five rebounds and six assists, said some of her six turnovers contributed to the Gamecocks’ struggles down the stretch. She also said there were a “few misunderstandings on the defensive play.”
Staley said the Gamecocks missed several defensive assignments, especially when they helped too long and gave Espinoza-Hunter too big of a window to shoot from behind the arc. South Carolina also didn’t have any answers for McCowan, who scored in double figures for the 17th time this season. It was her 54th career double-double (15th this season) and her fifth game with 20-plus points and rebounds. She was one shy of matching her career high in rebounds she set last season against Louisville.
“I thought we did the best we could,” Staley said. “Obviously we have to figure something out before the get back to us in March, but big T is going to be big T.”
Espinoza-Hunter’s 3-pointer accounted for her only points in 15 minutes. It gave MSU a 74-66 lead with 7 minutes, 12 seconds to go. She also took a charge in the second quarter. The Bulldogs didn’t allow the lead to dip below eight points the rest of the way.
“I thought we just rallied together, and I thought we relied on what we do every day,” MSU associate head coach Johnnie Harris said. “Bre(‘Amber) worked with the first team. Andi comes in and works with that first team, so they already had a bit of chemistry. I just thought they were prepared for it and did not let the emotions (of the moment get to them). Normally when (an injury happens) emotions can take over. That’s where the toughness showed. I thought they really gathered together and took care of business.”
MSU will return to action Thursday when it takes on Florida at 6 p.m. in Gainesville, Florida. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network+.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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