Mississippi State women’s basketball releases 2021 non-conference schedule

 STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – Mississippi State women’s basketball head coach Nikki McCray-Penson announced the program’s non-conference slate for the 2021-22 season Friday. The schedule features a Thanksgiving trip to Daytona Beach and the program’s first trip to Norman, Okla.

The Bulldog faithful will get their first look at the team when Mississippi State hosts Mississippi College on Nov. 1 for an exhibition at the Humphrey Coliseum.

“Our non-conference schedule will be a great first test for our players and for my coaching staff as we prepare for SEC play,” McCray-Penson said. “The schedule is highlighted by several NCAA Tournament teams like South Dakota State, Troy and Michigan but also a lot of quick turnaround games that will force us to be focused and ready to play every night. I’m really excited for this season and about this team and am really looking forward to our first practice next Friday [Sept. 30] and our first game. It’s going to be a special season.”

The 2021-22 season will officially tip-off on Nov. 9 with three games in six days. Mississippi State will open its season at home against Alabama State (Nov. 9), South Dakota State (Nov. 12) and Alcorn State (Nov. 14). South Dakota State comes to Starkville as one of the premier mid-major programs in the country. The Jackrabbits have appeared in 10 of the last 13 NCAA Tournaments, which includes the program’s first-ever at-large bid last season. In 2019, SDSU advanced to the Sweet 16, narrowly falling to Oregon.

Following a home matchup with Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 22), who had posted four straight 20-plus win seasons before canceling last season due to Covid-19, Mississippi State will travel to Daytona Beach, Fla. to compete in the Daytona Beach Invitational. State will take on the Dayton Flyers (Nov. 25), who won the Atlantic-10 Tournament Championship in 2019, and the Michigan Wolverines (Nov. 27), who have appeared in the last three held NCAA Tournaments including last season’s Sweet 16.

The month of December will get underway with a home contest against McNeese State (Dec. 1) before the Dawgs travel to Oklahoma for the Big 12/SEC Challenge and their first true road game of the season. The Sooners, who are coming off a 12-12 record last season, are led by first-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk. She arrived in Norman after amassing a 192-96 record in nine seasons at Drake University, which included three trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Mississippi State will have one final non-conference road game when they travel to Martin, Tenn. to take on UT Martin (Dec. 12).

The non-conference schedule will conclude with three games in Starkville when the Bulldogs host a multi-team tournament. Mississippi State will take on Troy (Dec. 18), who is coming off back-to-back Sun Belt Championships and a near-upset of Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs also square off with Jackson State (Dec. 19), SWAC Champions last season, and South Carolina State (Dec. 20).

SEC play will begin on Dec. 30 when Florida visits Starkville. The television schedule and times for all games will be announced at a later date.

Season tickets for the 2021-22 season are underway. Fans can purchase season tickets at hailstate.com/tickets or by calling the Mississippi State Ticket Office at (662) 325-2600 or (888) Go Dawgs (888-463-2947).