No. 7 Mississippi State women beats Georgia State 106-50

Nov 17, 2017, 04:22 am

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State put four guards on the floor to start against Georgia State. The Panthers never found a defense to defend it.

The No. 7 Bulldogs had success both inside and outside, making a school-record 65.6 percent of their shots on the way to a 106-50 victory Thursday night. Teaira McCowan and Victoria Vivians each scored 19 points.

"When they've got four guards that are as good as that and can shoot the three, pass it and drive it, it was a tough match for us," Georgia State coach Sharon Baldwin said. "They've got a good basketball team and there's no doubt about it."

Mississippi State (2-0) rattled Georgia State from the outset when it jumped out to a 30-11 lead after one quarter. The Bulldogs pushed the advantage to 63-22 by halftime.

Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer was happy with his team's offense, especially how they shared the ball in the half court.

"When you make the extra pass you're going to have somebody wide open," Schaefer said. "I was really pleased with the extra pass and our shooters having their feet ready."

The Bulldogs got contributions from all over the roster. Blair Schaefer scored 14 points and made 4 of 8 shots from 3-point range. Point guard Morgan William added 12 points, seven assists and no turnovers.

Reserve forward Zion Campbell earned her first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes. She made all six of her shots from the field.

"Hard work pays off," Campbell said. "I have more confidence in myself and that's the key for me."

The Bulldogs' offense wasn't quite as prolific in the second half but they were still able to cruise to the 56-point win. They were without starting power forward Ameshya Williams, who Vic Schaefer said was dealing with "personal issues."

Georgia State (0-2) was led by Shay Fluker, who scored 12 points. Jada Lewis had 11 points and Kierra Henry added 10.

Mississippi State had a 38-21 rebounding advantage.

BIG PICTURE

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs won their 26th-straight nonconference home game and their 24th-straight nonconference regular-season contest.

Georgia State: The Panthers lost to Florida in their season opener and had an even tougher time against their second straight SEC opponent. Georgia State had 28 turnovers and shot just 15 of 47 (32 percent) from the field.

UP NEXT

Mississippi State hosts Southern Miss on Sunday.

Georgia State travels to Georgia Tech on Tuesday.