STARKVILLE — The ball hung around the rim as the final seconds ticked down Sunday. Then Alabama’s Megan Abrams went airborne in response.
Desperate to clean up a missed shot from her teammate to avoid overtime, Abrams connected on a tip-in basket as the final buzzer sounded Sunday at Humphrey Coliseum, leading the Crimson Tide to a massive 66-64 upset over No. 9 Mississippi State (23-5, 11-3 SEC).
“We got what we deserved, to be quite honest with you,” MSU coach Vic Schaefer said.
The moment Abrams’ shot fell, elation came over the Alabama (16-11, 6-8) bench, as the entire team rushed the floor.
“I’m proud of our kids today,” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said. “They never quit and haven’t quit all year. We’ve been in this same situation and come up short, we could easily be sitting at 9-4 (in the league). But we turned the tide a little bit and found a way.”
On the flipside, disbelief came over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs had squandered a 13-point second half lead, missed a clutch free throw in the final seconds, and suffered what could be a key loss when it comes to NCAA tournament seeding.
“Those kids just don’t quit,” Schaefer said of Alabama. “That’s the kind of team I’ve had in the past, but we’re not that team right now, y’all. I’m responsible for that. We really lack toughness, and someone that will step up when it gets going tough and will say ‘Enough’s enough, let’s go.'”
With Kentucky losing to No. 1 South Carolina, MSU had a chance to clinch a double-bye in the Southeastern Conference tournament. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs will have to attempt that feat Thursday against Arkansas. In terms of seeding purposes for the conference tournament, the Bulldogs could finish as high as second, and as low as fifth depending on the outcome of their final two games.
With 1:29 remaining in the third quarter, MSU had a double-digit lead reduced to two, then the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run to build their largest lead of the contest.
The Crimson Tide erased that deficit with 2:20 left in the game, and took a one-point lead at the 1:15 mark. Down with 22 seconds remaining, MSU couldn’t get a bucket to go, as Rickea Jackson missed a layup attempt, but Andra Espinoza-Hunter grabbed the offensive board and was fouled with 5 seconds left. Espinoza-Hunter missed the front end but converted the second, setting the stage for Abrams’ heroics after Curry advanced the ball following a timeout.
“It’s not the first shot that beats you a lot of times,” Schaefer said. “It’s the second one. That’s what happened today. That’s a toughness play, not blocking out on that shot.”
Alabama’s Jasmine Walker went scoreless in the first half, shooting 0-of-5 from the court, but turned in a 20-point second half, converting 8 of 11 shots. Lewis scored 17 points, while Abrams turned in eight.
Jessika Carter led MSU with 18 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double, while Jackson scored 15 points.
MSU is back in action at 8 p.m. Thursday against Arkansas at Humphrey Coliseum.
DAWG Notes: At halftime, Mississippi State honored the 2009-2010 Sweet 16 women’s basketball team. It was the first group in program history to reach an NCAA tournament Sweet 16.
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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