Video: No. 8 MSU Women Dominate Mississippi Valley State, 109-37

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/MSU Athletics) – Mississippi State topped the 100-point mark for a second straight game with a 109-37 win against Mississippi Valley State in a women’s basketball Tuesday night at Humphrey Coliseum.

The Bulldogs, who earned a program-best No. 8 ranking from the Associated Press Monday and moved up to No. 10 in Tuesday’s USA Today Coaches Poll, improved to 3-0 by shooting 49.5 percent from the field and by holding a commanding 30-plus advantage on the boards. MSU entered play fresh off a 107-43 victory over another Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent, Grambling State.

(Kelly Price/MSU Athletics)
Sophomore Victoria Vivians scored 14 of her 23 points in the first quarter as MSU had no problems with MVSU on Tuesday.

Sophomore Victoria Vivians paced MSU with 22 points against Grambling, and she ignited the Bulldogs Tuesday, notching all 14 of her points over seven minutes in the first quarter.

“It’s always good to get a win,” MSU head coach Vic Schaefer said. “Victoria (Vivians) really came out ready to play tonight. She had good focus and made some shots early. Offensively, she was good early. The team was not necessarily as crisp as we needed to be, so it was a good thing she got us going.”

The Bulldogs used six straight points from Chinwe Okorie to cap a game-opening 9-0 run. From there, MSU used a 12-2 run to open a 21-2 advantage. Vivians hit a pair of 3-point baskets during that run. It was capped by back-to-back baskets from Blair Schaefer.

MSU stretched the lead to 31-7 after one quarter of play. From there, the Bulldogs continue to dominate on both ends of the floor. The second unit, led by Kayla Nevitt, Teaira McCowan, Schaefer and LaKaris Salter, continued to apply the pressure.

The Bulldogs shot 55.6 percent from the field and led 59-14 at halftime. The 72-point final margin of victory tied for the third largest in school history.

MSU took the court Tuesday night bolstering the school’s highest-ever ranking.

“I want us to live like a Top 10 team,” Vic Schaefer said. “I want us to see what a Top 10 team looks like in the classroom, on the practice court and on the floor during a game. This is new territory for us. It is going to get harder. I want us to ready to live in that kind of moment.”

Nevitt finished with a career-high 20 points – she was one of six players in double figures. McCowan had her second double-double in as many games with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Salter added 15 points, while Vivians had 14 points, Okorie had 10 points and Dominique Dillingham had 10 points.

For the contest, the Bulldogs hit 45 of 91 shots from the field (49.5 percent), 10 of 28 shots from 3-point range (35.7 percent) and 9 of 11 shots from the foul line (81.8 percent). The Devilettes hit 16 of 50 shots from the field (32.0 percent), 4 of 13 shots from 3-point range (30.8 percent) and 1 of 3 shots from the foul line (33.3 percent).

MSU held a 55-25 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs had 30 assists and 10 turnovers, while the Devilettes had seven assists and 34 turnovers.

MVSU received 15 points from Christina Reed.

MSU, who hosts Norfolk State at 6 p.m. Friday, climbed one spot in this week’s coaches poll. The Bulldogs are one of four SEC teams in the Top 10, joining No. 2 South Carolina, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 9 Texas A&M. Kentucky landed just behind State at No. 11.