KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — An extra second is an eternity to Blair Schaefer.
At 5-foot-7, the Mississippi State senior guard knows she doesn’t have the size to elevate over most guards when she comes off screens. That’s why she has talked repeatedly in her career about recognizing she has a “small window” to shoot the basketball.
On Sunday, Schaefer almost didn’t know what to do with an extra second — maybe even two — after she moved from left to right to rub her defender off a baseline screen.
Schaefer had so much time that she was able to move her right foot forward a little bit, re-set her base, and launch a 3-pointer from in front of the MSU bench.
It’s a good thing Schaefer had time to gather her feet because her 3-pointer with 4 minutes, 59 seconds was one dagger in game filled with them that helped No. 3 MSU beat No. 6 Tennessee 71-52 in a Southeastern Conference game before a crowd of 13,436 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
“I was thinking I had enough time to get the shot off, and (assistant) coach Carly (Thibault) is always on me saying that I rush sometimes into my shot,” Schaefer said. “My teammates set great screens and ran the guard into the other guard from Tennessee. I just used my time to my advantage and focused on the shot.”
Schaefer’s 3-pointer followed a drive by Roshunda Johnson and helped trigger a game-ending 14-2 run that enabled MSU (20-0, 6-0 SEC) to beat Tennessee (16-3, 4-2) at Thompson-Boling Arena for the second-straight season.
MSU did it on the strength of a balanced scoring attack that saw Victoria Vivians lead the way with a game-high 24 points. Johnson added 16 points, while Teaira McCowan had 12 points and 18 rebounds for her 15th double-double of the season.
But Schaefer’s shot came at a critical juncture after Tennessee had rallied to cut its deficit to 57-50 with 7:19 remaining. The 3-pointer was even more critical because it followed back-to-back missed treys at the end of the third quarter. One of the misses resembled one of the shots Thibault gets on to Schaefer about because it appeared to be rushed. As a result, it hit the side of the backboard.
Schaefer said she doesn’t think about misses — even bad ones — because she doesn’t have time to do it. After all, she said she knows she is like a closer in baseball and has to have a short memory because the next shot might come on the next trip.
“I just react to the game, and I know when to release in my smallest windows and when I have plenty of time to relax and get a good shot off,” said Schaefer, who was 4-for-9 from the field and 4-for-8 from 3-point range. “I think it is just focusing on shooting it with what is given to me.”
Schaefer had another critical 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter after Vivians and Johnson left the game with three fouls. Schaefer’s 3-pointer with 2:40 remaining in the quarter kicked MSU’s lead back to 50-36.
Schaefer’s effort marked the fourth time this season she has hit four 3-pointers in a game. She hit a season-high five in a 76-65 victory against Syracuse on Dec. 21, 2017.
Against Tennessee, MSU was 7-for-18 (38.9 percent) from 3-point range. Tennessee was 0-for-8 from behind the arc. It is the first time this season the Lady Vols haven’t hit a 3-pointer.
Schaefer said she doesn’t focus on if her 3-pointer stalls an opponent’s momentum or it keeps the Bulldogs rolling. If she thought about that, she wouldn’t have time to get her shot off.
“Our coaches are always telling me, ‘Get the next one. If you miss one, make the next one and you’re 50 percent,’ ” Schaefer said. “I have to put it behind me (if she misses it badly) because my team needs me for the next play.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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