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Keepsake Edition TUESDAY APRIL 4, 2017

The

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131st YEAR ISSUE 44

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

HISTORY MADE: MSU is proud of our Lady Bulldogs

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 4 2017

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#00 Dominique Dillingham is a senior guard from Spring, Texas. The 5’9” Klein Collins High School alumni is majoring in kinesiology. Dillingham is renowned for defensive ability on the court and was named a member of the 2016 and 2017 all-SEC defensive team for her efforts.

In her career she had 208 steals and 65 points, she averaged 6.6 points this season. She also was on the SEC academic honor roll in 2015 and 2016.

Blair Scha

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#1 Blair Schaefer is a junior guard and Starkville native.

The 5’7” Starkville High School alumni is majoring in biological Sciences and is the daughter of Mississippi State Head Coach Vic Schaefer. She is a member of the 2016 and 2017 SEC community service team and the 2016 SEC academic honor roll. She averaged 4.9 points this season in 39 games played, four of which were starts.

M

an William g r o #2 Morgan William is a junior guard from Birmingham, Alabama.

The 5’5” Shade Valley High School alumni is majoring in kinesiology.

William is best known for hitting the game winning buzzer beater over University of Connecticut last Friday night, the shot capped a 66-64 overtime victory to end a 111-game winning streak. She finished the season second on the team in points, averaging 10.9 points a game.

She also led the team in assists with 181. She was named to the all-SEC second team this past season.

Breanna Rich

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#3 Breanna Richardson is a senior forward from Conyers, Georgia. The 6’1” Rockdale High School alumni is a kinesiology major and is a member of the 2015 and 2016 SEC honor roll. She is tied for fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 7.5 points. She has started 36 of the 39 games she played in this year.

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olmes #10 Jazzmun Holmes is a sophomore guard from Gulfport, Mississippi.

She comes from an athletic family, with her mother playing soccer at MSU and her father playing football. The 5’8” Harrison Central high school alumni and sociology major played in 38 games this season and was second on the team in assists with 98. She also registered 25 steals this season.

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 4, 2017

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#11 Roshunda Johnson is a redshirt junior guard from Little Rock, Arkansas. The 5’7” Parkview High School alumni transferred to MSU after playing her freshman and sophomore seasons at Oklahoma State University. She is a sociology major and played in 33 games this year, starting nine of those games. She averaged 6.3 points this season. She led the team in three point percentage, making 43 percent of her shots from behind the arc.

Ketara

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#13 Ketara Chapel is a senior forward from Temple, Texas.

The 6’1” Temple High School alumni is majoring in kinesiology and was named to the SEC academic honor roll in 2015 and 2016. She played in 38 games this season, starting in three. She shot an impressive 48 percent from the field and averaged three points a game.

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#15 Teaira McCowan is a sophomore center from Brenham, Texas. The 6’7” Brenham High School alumni was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school. She was named SEC 6th Woman of the Year after this season. The educational psychology major was part of the 2016 all-SEC freshman team. She was third on the team in points scored, averaging 8.7 points a game and led the team in field goal percentage at 56 percent. She also led the team in rebounding, averaging 7.1 rebounds a game.

Victoria Vivian s

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#35 Victoria Vivians is a junior guard from Carthage, Mississippi. The 6’1” Scott Central High School alumni was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school and is the current record holder for points scored in a high school career in the state of Mississippi. Vivians, a human development and family sciences major, was named a third team AP All-American after this season and led the team in scoring with 16.2 points a game. She was named to the all-SEC first team in 2016 and 2017, and a member of the 2015 all-SEC second team.

Okorie e w in #45 Chinwe Okorie is a senior center from Lagos, Nigeria and played at Stoneleigh-Burnham Preparatory school in Massachusetts. She is a member of the 2015 and 2016 SEC academic honor roll and is a business administration major. She was fourth on the team in points scored, averaging 7.5 points a game. She was second on the team in rebounds, averaging 5.4 a game.

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 4, 2017

An In-Class Distraction Thursday March 30, 2017 10:32 a.m. Non-resident/visitor was issued Justice Court citations for speeding 37/20 and possession of paraphernalia on Stone Blvd.

11:53 p.m. Student was arrested on Bost Drive for DUI 2nd and disregard to traffic device. Justice Court citations and Student referalls were issued.

Friday March 31, 2017 5:23 p.m. Student reported his vehicle damaged while parked at Ruby Hall.

9:36 p.m. Students were issued referrals for careless driving after riding skateboards while holding on to a moving vehicle on Bully Blvd.

Saturday April 1, 2017 4:02 p.m. Non-resident/visitor was issued a Justice Court citation for possession of marijuana in motor vehicle while on Walker Road.

8:44 p.m. Student was transported to OCH from the Chi Omega house. Student was issued a referral for being intoxicated.

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OPINION

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 4, 2016

Congratulations, Lady Bulldog Basketball!

Heard at the Hump: students support women’s basketball team, even after loss

by Kristina Norman Contributing Writer

Fans of Mississippi State University’s women’s basketball team came out Sunday afternoon to cheer for their team at Humphrey Coliseum in a game many people did not expect to happen.

Swerving lines of people began to form outside The Hump well before the doors opened. Hundreds waited outside, cowbells in hand, to cheer their bulldogs on to victory. Inside, they waited with hopes to see their Bulldogs achieve the university’s first national title in any sport.

Those hopes were dashed Sunday night when the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Bulldogs 67-55, in route to its first national championship.

So how did the Bulldogs find their way to the Final Four in Dallas, and the team’s chance for a national championship? It all began with a win in the Oklahoma City regional game over Baylor, a number one seed.

The Bulldogs’ No. 1 point guard, Morgan William, scored 41 points helping give the Bulldogs a Final Four berth, only the second appearance for a MSU men’s or women’s basketball team.

After defeating Baylor, the Bulldogs moved on to their next opponent The University of Connecticut, a team with an undefeated record who had not lost a game in three seasons.

What transpired next, few people thought possible: the Bulldogs beat UConn snapping the team’s 111-game winning streak.

The resulting game turned into one of the greatest games ever played in the history of the NCAA tournament.

this season, and the chance to play for a national title, shows the rest of the country that the university’s teams should not be discounted by other, bigger schools.

“We always get beat down,” Baseemah said.

“This year they surprised us in the UConn game.”

Marina McGruder, a recent MSU grad in biomedical engineering, said she’s, “really proud of our girls.”

Like other students,

“They have the whole city of Starkville behind them.”

-Marina McGruder

After Sunday night’s loss to South Carolina, many students were disappointed by the team’s loss, but happy by the team’s many successes over the past season. Some students see Sunday night’s loss as just a momentary hiccup in the road of greater things.

Christian Dunn, a freshman marketing major, described this season full of pride and one full of surprises.

“We came very far,” Dunn said. “Most people didn’t think we would be here.

Malik Baseemah, an undeclared freshman, said the team’s surprising success

McGruder stated how MSU is always viewed as the underdog. However, this season was different, and they almost became the top dog.

“We’re finally making it,” McGruder said, “and making it big.”

McGruder said she watched the UConn game in her bed Friday night.

When Morgan William hit the game winning shot, she jumped out of bed, got dressed and went down to the Cotton District to join the excitement Support for the team extends throughout the

community McGruder noted.

“They have the whole city of Starkville behind them,” McGruder said.

Haley Jones, a freshman in wildlife, fisheries and aqua, said she was on her feet the entire time watching the UConn game on Friday night.

Like most people, Jones hoped the team would win, and that the third match between the two teams would be the “charm” and result in victory.

“They’ve come close both times they played them,” Jones said.

Dustin Montecillo, a junior in biological engineering, said he and others knew the team had something special in the tournament.

Montecillo said watching Friday night’s game against UConn was simply “incredible.”

Prior to the game, Montecillo stated that the team’s defeat of UConn should enable them to defeat its SEC rival South Carolina “We beat UConn,” Montecillo said. “Why can’t we beat South Carolina?”

That question, “Why can’t we beat South Carolina?” will likely linger for some time for MSU fans. An answer to that question will likely continue for coach Vic Schaefer this offseason.

Bulldog Nation responds to Final Four success

Women’s basketball represents the ‘MSU way’

by Taylor Rayburn Staff Writer

There are a couple of things my father passed on to me before he died, the biggest of which was his love for Mississippi State University.

That is what led me to grow up a Mississippi State fan in the most hostile environment to be raised a fan of, Oxford, Mississippi.

I grew up loving every bit of Mississippi State, but mostly its sports teams.

It was hard, most of the time. Growing up, MSU was bad at pretty much every sport, with the exception of a baseball season or two.

I have lived through many of bad sports seasons, but recently, things have been good. MSU had a great football season a few years ago, and was ranked No. 1 in the country for five weeks. The baseball team was runner-up in the College World Series in 2013.

As great as those seasons were, they do not compare to this women’s basketball season. This women’s basketball season made

every remark from Ole Miss fans, every bad season, every disappointment and every loss worth it.

I can say, without a doubt, this weekend has been the proudest I have ever been to be a fan of this university.

I am not the only one who feels this way. In fact, I would be willing to bet a lot of MSU fans feel this way.

The night MSU beat the University of Connecticut, snapping the second longest win streak in Division I sports, I got a text from my uncle, who took me to MSU games after my father died, that summarized the way MSU fans felt after that game. It was a short and simple text, “I’ve never been prouder to be a Bulldog.”

This is a man who lived through the men’s basketball team going to the Final Four, someone who lived through the 1980 MSU football team beating Bear Bryant and Alabama. This weekend, and what the women’s team has done this season, means more to other State fans and I than anything else that has happened in the history of this school.

It doesn’t matter that they

lost to South Carolina in the championship game. That diminishes nothing about this season. The national championship does not matter nearly as much as the team playing for it. The reason MSU has fallen so in love with this team goes beyond success. This team is coached and plays in a way that can only be described as the “MSU way.”

MSU has always been known as the blue-collar counterpart to a white-collar Ole Miss. This team reflected that blue-collar attitude that makes this university great.

They play hard, fundamental basketball.

They beat UConn by doing the dirty work of basketball, offensive rebounding. They beat UConn on the offensive glass 14-6. They shot a worse field goal percentage than UConn, but won because of the extra possessions offensive rebounding gave them.

They are also a team that is held accountable by a great coach. How many coaches bench their starters going into the NCAA Tournament?

The answer is one, Vic

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Schaefer. He did so because he felt like his starters were not playing with the right attitude. Going into the most important part of the year, he benched his best players to hold them accountable. That resonates with the people at this school. That reflects the type of place this is. A place where hard work and accountability are rewarded.

That is what doing things in an “MSU way” is.

This season was nothing short of magical. It was the greatest season any MSU team has ever had. The reason it happened is because they played hard-nose and fundamental basketball. So what if they lost the national championship game? Who cares?

This team will be immortal and go down as the greatest team in history of MSU. For what it is worth, to me, they are the best team in women’s basketball.

They may not have a championship but what they have done this season make me, and a lot of other MSU fans, more proud than a national championship ever could.

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SPORTS

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 4, 2017

Road To The Championship Chapter One: Schaefer, new line-up carry MSU past Troy in opening round of tourney

by Amber Dodd Staff Writer

In the first round of the NCAA tournament, No. 2 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs captured a 11069 win against No. 15 Troy University to advance to the second round.

Head Coach Vic Schaefer did not start the usual senior team to begin the game.

Instead, Blair Schaefer, Teaira McCowan, Morgan William, Ketera Chapel and Roshunda Johnson started the road to Dallas, Texas.

Troy’s Head Coach Chanda Rigby said the change did not match the Trojan’s initial approach to the usual five starting players the team were projecting.

“We were going to do a man-to-man special, and deny the ball to their best player,” Coach Rigby said.

“We had no way of knowing who it would be coming out and it changed what we were doing. We changed our game plan and the beginning and it should’ve stayed the same.”

The starting five still carried MSU’s powerful dynamic with unusual starter, Schaefer, beginning the game with 11 of the 27 first quarter points for the Bulldogs.

Schaefer gave a star-studded performance on both sides,

forcing Troy turnovers and completing them with her own set of points down the stretch.

Schaefer finished the game with a career-high 21 points and Johnson with 15 points.

The duo was responsible for 36 of the 57 points MSU scored.Schaefer said the chemistry between the team is rooted within every player, no matter the five on the floor.

“We’ve been working all week together and so we got our chemistry right off the bat and dominated this week in practice,” Schaefer said.

“We realized what we can do together is really special and we both have a good feeling of where we are on the floor.”

The new lineup rotation helped the Bulldogs retain energy and continue to pressure Troy. With the split up in the usual starting five, Schaefer checked in guards Vivians, Johnson and Richardson, simultaneously, to keep the Bulldogs shooting on the perimeter and Bulldog center McCowan to keep Troy to 26 points in the paint.

With the immediate lineup change from MSU and a continuous rhythm intact, the team’s stamina and quickness stunned the Trojans as they were lackluster during the second quarter and lasted until midthird quarter. At that time, Victoria Vivians entered the

game and contributed to the 26-9 run Mississippi State completed before the end of the first half. She ended the game with 13 points and six rebounds. Coach Schaefer said he believes Vivians will always be ready to compete under any circumstances.

“Victoria’s fine,” Coach Schaefer said. “She’s going to be ready when the lights come on. She’s been in that environment and that game way too many times to not embrace that opportunity. I don’t worry about her as much as everybody else seems to.”

While developing offensively, McCowan’s defensive performance stood in place of the absence. She collected seven rebounds in the first quarter and had three blocks to keep the Trojans from scoring.

“Going into the game today, we knew we had to box this team out.” McCowan said. “This is a team that goes to the boards really hard so we had to box out and go get the rebound.”

McCowan began scoring more in the second half to finish the game with nine points, four blocks and 13 of the team’s 61 rebounds.

The Trojans left the first half shooting 30 percent with the Bulldogs in a tremendous 56-27 lead. They finished the game completing 33 percent of their shots.

Brooklyn Prewett | The Reflector

Blair Schaefer finished the first round of the tournament with a career-high 21 points. MSU defeated Troy 110-69 to advance.

With good shooting and open looks for the Bulldogs, the team shot 51 percent for the game while the Trojans struggled to get successful looks from the constant pressure the Bulldogs established. Overall, the 110 points Mississippi State scored were spread evenly amongst the roster. Five Bulldogs scored double digit numbers, like freshman Ameshya Williams,

who scored 15 points.

Hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament, the home court advantage created the familiar atmosphere for the Bulldogs with a crowd of 5,572. Coach Schaefer felt it was great for an opportunity to redeem themselves from the upsetting 84-62 Senior Night loss against Tennessee on Feb. 26 in the NCAA

tournament. Johnson said the team’s plan was to give the seniors another shot in the same atmosphere.

“We left things bad,” Johnson said. “We knew we had to redeem ourselves and come back. Coach said we want to give our seniors another Senior Night. We didn’t want this to be the last game so we had to come out hard.”

Chapter Two: Holmes leads Bulldogs past DePaul

by Amber Dodd Staff Writer

The No. 2 Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the No. 7 DePaul Blue Demons 92-71 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament.

Led by veteran coach Doug Bruno, DePaul matched Mississippi State’s fast tempo and stamina.

The Blue Demons kept up with the Bulldogs, but it did not halt the new roster rotation from successfully distributing the ball and controlling the game tempo.

Dominique Dillingham said the team’s new rotation shows the depth that Mississippi State has.

“I think we have 10 starters,” Dillingham said. “I think we’re really deep and Blair and Ro deserve to start and much as me and Tori.

We have a lot of combinations in practice and we’re used to playing with each other.”

Mississippi State left the first half with a tight 38-37 lead. Coach Bruno said DePaul’s faults were when they could not adjust to their opponents’ strategy to rebound, and their usual playing dynamic was disrupted by fouls and erratic shooting.

“One of the consequences of being a quick shooting team is if you quick shoot and miss you must defend and rebound,” Coach Bruno said. “If you don’t, you’re putting in a recipe for disaster. The third quarter we had some shots that we’d usually make and we missed them, but we simultaneously

Brooklyn Prewett | The Reflector

Sophomore Jazzmun Holmes had 14 points, six assists, and two steals in Mississippi State’s 92-71 victory over DePaul in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

could not stop Mississippi State defensively.”

DePaul’s usual big, the 6’3” forward Jacqui Grant, had trouble defending DePaul’s basket and establishing her own defensive stride to stop the points in the paint. With both Mississippi State centers Teaira McCowan and Chinwe Okorie getting in a rhythm on their own, Grant could not stop their combined 18 rebounds and 20 points for the Bulldogs.

Theduohadaheightadvantage with Okorie standing at 6’5” and McCowan at 6’7”, helping Mississippi State outrebound DePaul 48-26.

Head Coach Vic Schaefer said the team’s “two headed monster” will change the way Mississippi State will play in the tournament.

“We will win a lot of games with that stat line for those two,” Coach Schaefer said. “I think those two are feeding off of each other.”

With the mix match at the post, DePaul fell short of defending at the perimeter for Mississippi State.

It allowed the Mississippi State guards to put up big numbers, specifically Blair Schaefer. Schaefer collected a team-leading 18 points, continuing her outstanding shooting performance of 21 points against the Troy Trojans in the first round.

Schaefer felt double and triple teaming the centers in the paint gave the opportunistic Bulldog guards a chance to show off their versatile offensive weapons.

“I felt like we had a lot of

time to get our shots off,” Schaefer said. “They were putting a lot of emphasis on our post today since they’re good and tall. It opened up the perimeter for us and we knew we had to be ready and have a good shot.”

Mississippi State came out of the third quarter with an explosive offense to wear down DePaul. Coach Schaefer said he created new plays to adapt to their intensity to secure a lead entering the fourth quarter.

“At halftime, I felt like we were up 10 and we were only up one,” Coach Schaefer said. “Coming out in the third quarter, I was really proud about how we responded immediately out of the gate. I thought we executed offensively.”

Dillingham said the team’s execution helped them surpass the Blue Demon’s attempt to take advantage of the one-point difference.

Sophomore Jazzmun Holmes checked in for Morgan William and created opportunities for Mississippi State and deconstructed DePaul’s offense.

“Coach gave us a couple of plays to execute after halftime and we executed them perfectly,” Dillingham said. “It helped when we had Jazz out there running the team.”

Holmes played the point guard position with poise and control, contributing 14 points, six assists and two steals. Mississippi State completed a 23-13 run to end the third quarter

leading DePaul 61-50.

Holmes’ first play off the bench was a steal for the Bulldogs.

“Once I got the steal I felt my adrenaline pumping,” Holmes said. “Once I felt it, I knew.”

Coach Schaefer said how Holmes led the No. 7 ranked team in the nation to a victory and showed what she can do only as a sophomore.

“She played with a presence today,” Schaefer said.

“When you have a kid on the bench, you want them to watch and make plays when they get on the floor.

She played as the most important position on the team.”

The Hump had an attendance of 6,035 to watch the four seniors play their last game against the Blue Demons. Dillingham said the farewell for the seniors to advance to the Sweet Sixteen was a great environment to leave behind.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing this was the last time I play at The Hump,” Dillingham said. “It’s a great feeling to know how much we accomplished during the four years we were here.”

Dillingham’s strict defensive performance held DePaul’s usual shooter senior Brooke Shulte to only 16 points. Dillingham completed her milestone of 1,000 points as a Bulldog on free throw attempts in the fourth quarter. She entered March Madness only seventeen points away from the goal. She finished her last game at The Hump with 10 points, three rebounds and two steals.

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SPORTS

7

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 4, 2017

Chapter Three: McCowan dominates in the fourth

by Dalton Middleton Sports Editor

Teaira McCowan and the No. 2 Mississippi State Bulldogs made history with a 75-64 win over the No. 3 Washington Huskies in the Sweet Sixteen.

McCowan scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and swatted five blocks all down the stretch to help lead the Bulldogs into the Elite Eight for the fi rst time in school history.

Washington forward Chantel Osahor said McCowan was the game-changer for the Bulldogs. She talked to the media after the game.

“She was the difference-maker,” Osahor said in the post-game press conference. “She had some big baskets at the end.”

Down 20-13 at the end of the fi rst quarter, MSU outscored UW 25-9 in the second quarter to give themselves a 38-29 lead going into halftime. In the quarter, MSU went on two separate 11-2 runs to establish their lead.

The Huskies stormed back in the third quarter and took a 50-48 lead going into the fi nal quarter. That is when McCowan took over. Her 20 fourth-quarter

points helped the Bulldogs outscore the Huskies 27-14 and led the Bulldogs to their historic victory.

Head Coach Vic Schaefer told the media after the game that the second and fourth quarters were the changing points in both halves of the game.

“The second and fourth quarters were special offensively,” Coach Schaefer said. “We obviously got some things going on offense. You score 25-27 points in a quarter, you’re doing some good things offensively.”

Kelsey Plum, the nation’s leading scorer at 31.8 points per game, scored 29 points in the game and was held to nine points in the fi rst half.

Dominique Dillingham, MSU’s best defender, guarded Plum during the game. She gave all the credit to her teammates in the post-game conference.

“Plum is just an amazing player. It was a great battle all night long,” Dillingham said. “My teammates helped me out a lot. We were able to switch a lot of things, which helped me personally. My team just did a good job of sealing up the line. We had umbrella defense. Everybody was there to help. It was just a team effort, I think.”

Washington went

249-344-62 from the field and only hit 8 of 22 from three-point range. Plum was held to 10-25 from the field.

MSU also dominated on the boards in the game.

The Bulldogs outrebounded the Huskies 49-34 in the game and won the turnover battle. The Bulldogs had 17 assists and seven turnovers in the game, and the Huskies has eight assists and 10 turnovers.

Victoria Vivians added 13 points and Blair Schaefer added 10 to help the Bulldogs to victory.

The Bulldogs (32-4) are still continuing their historic season. In a season that tallied the most wins ever in a season, a back-to-back Sweet Sixteen venture, and an Elite Eight appearance, Coach Schaefer said he is unbelievably proud of the women on this team.

“Awfully proud of my kids,” Schaefer said. “So proud they were able to take all of this in three days on defense. It wasn’t rocket science but there were some things that we needed to do to be successful. Our kids were special today. No doubt about that. Dominique came in and did what she does best. There is a reason why she has been on the SEC’s all-defensive team the last two years.”

Chapter Four: William drops 41 points on Baylor

the stretch and extended the MSU lead to nine points.

William scored 12 points Sports Editor in the overtime period.

The game featured 24 lead changes, but MSU held on Morgan William and for the 94-85 victory over Mississippi State finally cut Baylor. down the net.

William said 24 lead William was not going changes are the reason she to let MSU’s historic sealoves basketball. She knew son end tonight. William, once her team got just one who was named Most stop, they would take conOutstanding Player of the trol of the game. regional, scored 41 points “I mean, that’s why it’s and led the No. 2 Bulldogs a game of runs,” William over the No. 1 Baylor Bears said. “We live for moments 94-85 in overtime on to like this, back-to-back lead advance the changes. We Bulldogs to just know we the program’s “I’m so proud of my girls and my team. I got to make first Final Four a run when thought my kids were unf lappable. They they make appearance.

William shot a run. Got showed tremendous toughness, a lot of to get stops 13-22 from the field, 6-8 from in. Once we character and their heart.”

3-point range, make our and 9-10 from run, we got -Head Coach Vic Schaefer the free throw to get stops line to lead the and keep Bulldogs (33-4) in the upset To complement William, running from there. I feel victory. Her 41 points were Vivians scored 24 points like we did that. We got a the most in school history and Teaira McCowan stop, and we kept executin a NCAA Tournament scored 10 points. Both ing. After that, we got a game. players were named to the lead.”

William said she knew Oklahoma City Regional Turnovers were a pregame she felt better All-Tournament Team. game-changer for MSU. shooting than she had in Vivians scored 15 points While MSU committed previous games. She said in the first half and kept her just four turnovers in 45 pregame shooting gave her team just a few steps ahead total minutes, the Bulldogs the mindset to make any before William took over in forced 17 Baylor turnovers. shot she took in the game. the second half.

Although the Bulldogs “Just confidence,” Down 61-60 to start the were outrebounded by six William said. “I mean, I fourth quarter, both teams rebounds, MSU grabbed came out here early to shoot swapped leads until the 13 offensive rebounds and because I had issues the last game was tied at 73 with two blocked three shots. couple games. I was feeling minutes and 19 seconds left Coach Schaefer, a man it. Coach let me make them. in regulation. Baylor took who continuously praisIt opened shots for my the 75-73 lead, but William es the play of his girls on teammates, too. When I was laid in the ball with 22.6 sec- his team, said his team open, I knew I could knock onds left to tie the game. played with tremendous down the shot. That really To start overtime, poise and they delivhelped us from inside-out. Vivians and William made ered a gut-wrenching It was just tough to guard shots to put the Bulldogs up performance. us.”

85-81. Free throws helped “I’m so proud of my girls Head Coach Vic Schaefer extend the lead, but Baylor and my team,” Schaefer said noticed she was shooting fought back with a late after the game. “I thought well from the beginning, 3-pointer to cut the lead to my kids were unflappable. and ran plays to get her to two. Soon after, William They showed tremendous shoot as much as possible. sealed the deal and hit seven toughness, a lot of charac“I ran a couple of things to eight free throws down ter and their heart.”

by Dalton Middleton

for her, and just had to keep going back because they were having a hard time dealing with it and she was wanting the ball,” Schaefer said in the post-game press conference.

Vivians, the team’s leading scorer on the season, praised William in her postgame interview with ESPN. “She was amazing,” Vivians told ESPN reporter Kaylee Hartung. “Look, she stepped up and she was a point guard. She put us on her back and I am very grateful for her.”

Brooklyn Prewett | The Reflector

Teaira McCowan scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and blocked five shots in the fourth quarter to lead MSU past UW.

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 4, 2017

Chapter Five: Itty Bitty shocks the nation

by Amber Dodd Staff Writer

Dominique Dillingham brought the ball down and gave it to Morgan William.

For 1.6 seconds, the world seemed like it had frozen to a halt. In the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, 19,202 fans, coaches and media stood still as William lifted up the contested short jumper as the time expired. The shot went in. The Mississippi State Bulldogs beat the Connecticut Huskies 66-64, ending their 111 game winning streak and advancing to the National Championship for the first time in program history.

William said the ball would be in her hands just in case the Huskies would foul, so she would go to the line.

She is the best option for free throws for Mississippi State, but that was not what won the Bulldogs the game.

“He said, ‘Mo, you can win the game.” That’s what Head Coach Vic Schaefer told William before she entered the game with 12.6 seconds remaining on the clock.

“When I made the shot, I was in shock,” William said. “I’m still in shock. I’m here like, ‘Hey, I just won the game.”

The MSU Bulldogs won a hard fought battle against the No. 1 overall seeded UConn Huskies, beginning the game with early intensity on both sides of the ball.

Mississippi State opened up the first half with a dominant performance over UConn.

The Bulldogs’ smooth offensive chemistry

gave them the upperhand, ending the first quarter on a 7-0 run to solidify a 22-13 first quarter lead. Head Coach Vic Schaefer said basketball is full of runs and knew that was the only way to gain the upperhand against UConn.

“We know the game is full of streaks,” Coach Schaefer said. “It was good that we had a streak that got us up that big. That’s hard to do against a great team.”

William opened the game up with five points and two rebounds. Breanna Richardson and Teaira McCowan tied for four points as the Bulldogs opened up with an impressive 22 points over the Huskies. The Bulldogs began penetrating the defensive front UConn established early. Their all around performance shook up UConn’s usual offensive plans. Connecticut Head Coach Gene Auriemma said there was no established rhythm in the first half which cost them the game overall.

“Normally, we’re a little more patient on offense,” Coach Auriemma said. “It was very disjointed. There no rhythm to our game. We usually have a tremendous flow.”

Head Coach Vic Schaefer said his plan for Mississippi State was to disrupt any normality in UConn’s strategies.

“Our defensive strategy was, you can’t let them do what they want to do, bottom line.” Coach Schaefer said.

On the perimeter, Victoria Vivians, Richardson and William helped Mississippi State overcome UConn’s overcrowding defense.

Mississippi State bigs allowed them to score 12 second chance points, with putbacks from Okorie who finished the game with seven points and four rebounds and McCowan with 10 points and eight rebounds. Mississippi State finished the game with 28 points in the paint.

The Bulldogs had a great offensive presence but their defense was met with performance mishaps. Foul trouble plagued the Mississippi State starters. Eight of the nine players who were on the floor had at least one foul, collecting 11 total in the first half. Richardson and Vivians said any fouls they were going to get, they had to make them count but still keep a steady defensive edge against the Huskies.

“Coach said even if we get a couple early fouls, make ‘em count,”’ Richardson said. “After that we just had to play smart. We can’t really think about fouls, just got to play smart in those situations.”

Vivians agreed that any foul must be a smart one to sacrifice for the team’s outcome in the game.

“Don’t take any plays off,” Vivians said. “If you got to foul at the end, make it, knowing you’re giving it your all.”

McCowan and Dillingham had two fouls early on, but Mississippi State’s depth helped them avoid UConn’s suffocating dominance.

The Bulldogs finished the first half in front 36-28. UConn tied their lowest first half score this year, when they scored 28 against the Tulane Green

Brooklyn Prewett | The Reflector

Mississippi State dogpiles after Morgan William’s game-winning shot against No. 1 UConn. MSU won 66-64 in overtime.

Wave. UConn’s offense peaked to start the second half, going on a 12-1 run as Coach Auriemma got the Huskies back to their original format of fast paced offense. Their tricky, puzzling offensive plays are made to create confusion amongst their contenders.

Their offense works as a mind game to leave someone open on the perimeter, allowing them to put points on the board for the Huskies. Mississippi State kept falling in the offensive trap, allowing UConn to outscore them 20-12 in the third quarter. Once Coach Schaefer decided to switch from zone defense to man to man, the Bulldogs

closed many options for the Huskies, not allowing UConn to fight back as hard as they had planned.

Mississippi State’s aggressive defense put Huskie Gabby Williams in a rare position in scoring.

Williams led the Huskies with 21 points. This is only her fourth time this season. UConn star Katie Lou Samuelson said Mississippi State’s defensive adjustment put the Huskies out of their offensive flow.

“Their defense was great on taking away our first, second, even third options sometimes,” Samuelson said. “I think they did a really great job.”

The discombobulation

costed the Huskies the game. UConn had 17 turnovers, allowing Mississippi State to score 12 points on them. The Bulldogs also outrebounded the Huskies 37-31, 14 of the 37 being offensive rebounds. The Bulldogs scored 18 points from the put-back layups.

Four Bulldogs scored double digits in the win.

Vivians led the Bulldogs with 19 points and McCowan led the team defensively, collected eight rebounds. Vivians has scored in double figures in every game in the tournament getting back to her usual leadership role after having trouble scoring throughout the season.

Chapter Six: Bulldogs fall short of happy ending

by Amber Dodd Staff Writer

The Cinderella story for the Mississippi State Bulldogs ended short of National Championship title as the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated them 67-55.

Mississippi State began the game matching South Carolina’s energy, going on a 7-3 run early to try to establish themselves, but a USC 10-4 run to close the first quarter created an uphill battle for the remainder of the game.

Dominique Dillingham said the team wasn’t matching South Carolina’s intensity.

“We were up 7-3 at the beginning,” Dillingham said. “They made a run and then we weren’t executing offensively.”

Mississippi State had trouble establishing an offensive presence, costing them to be behind 10 points entering the second half. Besides not scoring until two minutes into the game, Mississippi State had trouble defending South Carolina’s flowing offense. In the second quarter alone, Mississippi State was 4-11 from the floor. Dillingham agreed that the team’s usual grace on offense was absent early after the 7-3 start in the game.

“There’s no way to really put it,” Dillingham said. “We weren’t putting the ball in the basket and we weren’t getting stops

which isn’t a good recipe.”

South Carolina’s Forward A’ja Wilson dominated in the paint with 11 points and two rebounds in the first half, although rebounding wasn’t a priority for the Gamecocks as they shot 46 percent from the floor and scored 18 points in the second quarter. Allisha Gray and Wilson each had 11 points as South Carolina led 36-26 in the first half.

The Bulldogs were in foul trouble again too early.

The Bulldogs picked up 11 fouls, which led South Carolina to shoot 15 free throws, completing 12 of them.

Breanna Richardson said it was a tough time guarding such a dominant force like Wilson for the Gamecocks while keeping the Bulldogs intact.

“A’ja is a great player,” Richardson said. “I feel like she came out and was determined to get the win for her team. She played with the energy her team needed.”

Wilson was present when the Bulldogs began to make their runs late in the game. The Bulldogs had a short burst of life throughout the second half, cutting the lead to six from being down 14, but it wasn’t enough to combat the consistency from South Carolina. After Richardson completed a lay-up, the Bulldogs were within six of the Gamecocks’ 58-52 lead, but Wilson wasn’t going to let the Bulldogs close in so easily.

She scored six points in

two minutes to give the Gamecocks the 12 point lead to win the national title. Wilson said she knew what was on the line and had to continue to pressure the Bulldogs’ withering defense.

“I knew that I needed to make an impact on the game,” Wilson said.

“Whether it’s a block, score or anything.”

The Gamecocks found most of their success in the paint against the Bulldogs.

On defense, Wilson and

the points in the paint battle.” Schaefer said.

The MVP of the Final Four, Wilson tied with teammate Gray with 10 rebounds and had the team-best 23 points.

Wilson said her success against Mississippi State was due to staying in her own mindset and letting the game come to her.

“I think we took our time,” Wilson said. “We read their plays and denying our ways to get the ball. We had to find our

“It was real emotional, you know. They’ve had the ride of a lifetime. Really for four

years they’ve had a great career. Again, it’s been a heck of a ride, it’s been fun. We’ll be back.”

-Head Coach Vic Schaefer

Gray each secured 10 rebounds, out-rebounding Mississippi State 40-27; 42 of the 67 points for the Gamecocks took place in the paint. South Carolina’s Wilson was not letting McCowan or Okorie establish themselves on either side of the ball, holding both of the Bulldog bigs to just nine points and 14 rebounds combined. Coach Schaefer said the Gamecocks hindered the Bulldogs in their hard work on both sides of the floor, but especially in the paint, costing them the title.

“We don’t usually win games when we don’t win

ways to attack the ball and get it in the paint.”

Coach Schaefer said the Bulldogs had a tough time flowing against South Carolina’s sufficiency and determination.

“South Carolina has a habit of making things so hard for you to execute,” Coach Schaefer said. “There’s just hard to handle.”

In the third straight win against Mississippi State, South Carolina held Mississippi State to shooting 34 percent overall. In the highlight of the offensive troubles for the Bulldogs, starting point guard Morgan William

had eight points, her lowest of the game against ranked opponents and in the NCAA tournament.

Coach Schaefer explained his reasoning for putting in Jazzmun Holmes instead of William, who has been the go-to option for the Bulldogs lately.

“If you look at the stats, my two guards (Vivians and William) didn’t have a very good day,” Coach Schaefer said. “Morgan, she had four assists, one turnover, was 2-6. I try to hold people accountable.”

William said she was fine with sitting out the fourth quarter and Holmes had the energy Coach Schaefer was looking for.

“She did good,” William said. “She went 3-5 from the field, she was putting ball pressure and scoring points, so I can’t be mad.

It’s what was best for the team.”

William finished her NCAA tournament career performance with 120 points. Victoria Vivians finished the game 4-16 from the field scoring 12 points, the team’s highest against the Gamecocks.

In the loss, the Gamecocks won their first national title and also swept Mississippi State in three games this season.

The Bulldogs are looking forward to next season as Coach Schaefer will prepare to send off the historic seniors and welcome the incoming class.

Schaefer has the 19th ranked recruiting class in the nation coming in for

Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs finish the season 34-5, the best record in program history.

Coach Schaefer said he’s proud of how far the team has came and looks forward to getting his returning players ready for the next season.

“It shouldn’t matter who’s coming in, I have a heck of a group coming back,” Coach Schaefer said. “It’s their time to go work and get better. Don’t minimize this moment.

How you feel, remember it.”

Ketera Chapel, Chinwe Okorie, Dillingham and Richardson finish their careers at Mississippi State as the winningest class in program history with 111 wins. The class is 111-34 (.766) since the 2013-14 season. Dillingham and Richardson both reached the 1,000 point club in their college careers.

Schaefer said he can’t thank his seniors enough for believing in the vision he set out while recruiting and looks to sending his seniors off on a great run to close their careers as a Bulldog.

“It was real emotional, you know,” Schaefer said.

“They’ve had the ride of a lifetime. Really for four years they’ve had a great career.”

Coach Schaefer said the team’s success was by no means a mistake and he looks forward to another success season coming up.

“Again, it’s been a heck of a ride, it’s been fun,” Coach Schaefer said.

“We’ll be back.”