STARKVILLE, Miss. – The ULM women's basketball team (5-2) dropped their second road game of the season against Mississippi State (7-1) on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 30). In a close 66-54 matchup, the Warhawks were able to hang onto the Bulldogs for the majority of the contest, the third quarter allowing the home team to find the lead and secure victory.
The Warhawks led in multiple categories, including field goal percentage (41%) and three-point percentage (44%). The Bulldogs were able to pull out the victory by capitalizing off ULM's 26 turnovers, collecting 28 points off turnovers. Mississippi State also led in rebounds with 38 to the Warhawks' 30. With four lead changes and a brief moment of a tie, the Bulldogs held the lead for 38 minutes in the contest.
Jazmine Jackson led the team with 15 points, the only Warhawk reaching double-digit scoring. She shot 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, her second-straight game with 5+ triples.
Marcavia Shavers led the team with 12 rebounds, reaching that mark for her second-consecutive game as well. Shavers also tallied six points, shooting 2-of-2 from the free throw line to go along with her four assists and a block.
An early three-pointer as the contest began for Mississippi State set the tone for both teams, as the contest saw 12 three-pointers throughout the contest.
Asjah Inniss responded with a layup to to swinging momentum in the road team's favor. The Bulldogs shot off to an early 5-11 lead with seven minutes left in the contest, as
Nakiyah Mays-Prince and Inniss hit triples to keep it close. As the minutes in the first quarter ran down, Jackson hit her first shot from beyond the arc to tie the game at 18. But a last-second layup gave Mississippi State the 20-18 advantage after the first quarter.
Keshunti Nichols opened the scoring to tie things up again, a foul on
Asia Barclay setting up free throws to give the Bulldogs another lead. Jackson hit her second three-pointer of the day to set the Warhawks within one, even as the Bulldogs responded seconds later. A 6-0 scoring run in the final minutes of the half brought ULM the 29-28 lead with just under two minutes left. But a jumper at the 47-second mark by Trayanna Crisp had the home team up by one at halftime.
The Warhawks opened the scoring in the second half, with
J'Mani Ingram picking up some points. But a 12-0 run for the Bulldogs had the deficit getting larger than it had throughout the contest. Inniss broke the five-minute scoring drought for ULM, hitting a second-chance jumper to bring the deficit to 10. Five more unanswered points made it a 15-point lead for Mississippi State, as Jackson notched another three-pointer to work on the margin. The triple set off a 7-0 run in the third quarter as the Warhawks came climbing back to 49-40 score with just one quarter remaining.
The final 10 minutes brought a fight for Mississippi State to hold onto its lead and a battle for the Warhawks to crawl back into the game. With Madison Francis tallying her third shot of the contest, the Warhawks fell back in a double-digit deficit. But a triple from Jackson that was followed by Shavers' block and another three for the junior suddenly turned it into a two-possession game. The Bulldog defense was able to shine in the final five minutes, holding Jackson without another three-pointer, only six points scored by ULM as Mississippi State pulled ahead for the 66-54 final score.
The Warhawks continue on the road to face another SEC opponent in Alabama on Sunday (Dec. 7) in Tuscaloosa. Tipoff against the Crimson Tide is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.
