McCowan-Led Second Half Drives #6 Hail State Hoops Past LSU

GREENVILLE, S.C. (WCBI / AP) – Teaira McCowan scored 13 of her 15 points in the final 13 minutes and No. 6 Mississippi State beat LSU 78-61 on Friday night to reach the SEC Tournament semifinals for the second consecutive season.

The Bulldogs (28-3) trailed 39-37 with less than three minutes to play in the third quarter when the 6-foot-7 McCowan, voted the conference’s sixth woman of the year, and fellow reserve Ketara Chapel fueled a 21-12 run over the next eight minutes to move in front.

Mississippi State needed every bit of their inside play because all-SEC first-team selection Victoria Vivians was held to five points – the first time in 24 games she did not reach double figures. The Naismith Trophy semifinalist scored her first field goal of the game on an and-one layup with 1:47 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs now holds a three-game winning streak over the LSU Tigers for the first time in program history.

The Bulldogs will play Texas A&M in Saturday’s semifinals after the Aggies defeated #23 Missouri 62-48.

Raigyne Moncrief, the SEC’s defensive player of the year, powered the Tigers’ offense with a career-high 25 points.