MSU Women’s Basketball Team Begins NCAA Tournament Friday In Starkville

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – Humphrey Coliseum will once again be filled with basketball action as fifth-seeded Mississippi State tips the 2016 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament against Chattanooga on Friday.

The Bridgeport Regional contest is set for a 1:30 p.m. tip. Friday’s Starkville quadrant opener between fourth seed Michigan State and 13 seed Belmont begins at 11 a.m.

“It is a great day to be a Bulldog. This is a proud day for me, my staff and my program to be able to host an NCAA championship. That speaks to our players and the team that they represent,” head coach Vic Schaefer said. “I am very excited to show off our community and this great city that has been so supportive of what I call the ‘People’s Team.’ I know the people of this community will do a great job of embracing the other three teams and players. I am proud of my team and what we have been able to accomplish this year. This is a long hard grind. I am proud, very excited and welcome to Starkville.”

Both games will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Fans can also listen to the radio broadcast in the Golden Triangle on WKBB-FM 100.9, in Tupelo on WXWX-FM 96.3 and in Corinth on WKCU-FM 92.9 and WKCU-AM 1350.

Hosting for the first time in program history, Mississippi State makes eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and second-straight under Schaefer.

Mississippi State claimed a five seed last season and traveled to Durham, North Carolina, where it defeated Tulane before falling to host Duke in the second round.

The Bulldogs enter this year’s tournament boasting a 26-7 overall record and 11-5 SEC mark. MSU needs one win to match last season’s school record for the most victories in a season.

Schaefer’s squad returns to the friendly confines of the Hump, where it is 31-3 the last two seasons, following an outstanding run to the SEC Tournament championship game.

Sophomore Victoria Vivians earned SEC All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 22.0 ppg in the Bulldogs’ three games in Jacksonville, Florida. The Carthage, Mississippi, native had the tournament’s top two scoring performances with 30 in the semifinal against Tennessee and 26 in the title game against South Carolina.

The First Team All-SEC selection has averaged 19.2 ppg and shot 45.3 percent from the field in her last five games. That stellar production has put her second in the SEC in scoring this season at 17.2 ppg.

The two-time Gillom Trophy winner has also been outstanding on the defensive end for MSU, pulling down a team second-most 5.9 rebounds per game and leading the squad with 1.7 steals per game.

SEC All-Defensive Team selection Dominique Dillingham also brings a solid defensive presence to Schaefer’s squad, but she has upped her contributions on the offensive end of late, averaging 11.0 points the last five contests.

Dillingham, an Associated Press All-SEC Honorable Mention recipient, rates third on the team in scoring with 8.2 ppg.

She follows right behind sophomore Morgan William, who tallies 9.9 ppg on the year. William has done most of her damage at the free-throw line, where she rates second in the league with an 83.9 percent conversion rate.

Junior Chinwe Okorie leads the Bulldogs in the paint, scoring 6.9 points and grabbing a team-best 6.2 rebounds per contest.

Mississippi State will meet Chattanooga for the sixth time, but it will be the first since State claimed its third win of the series 103-87 in Starkville on Dec. 3, 1993.

Jim Foster’s Mocs come to Starkville 24-7 on the season. UTC defeated Western Carolina, Samford and Mercer to win the Southern Conference Tournament title and clinch the league’s automatic berth.

Southaven, Mississippi, native Jasmine Joyner leads Chattanooga with 12.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest.

Keiana Gilbert and Queen Alford join her in double figures with 12.6 and 11.1 ppg, respectively.