Lady Vols basketball is back at home for a game against Mississippi State before two straight road games.
No. 15 Tennessee (14-2, 2-2 SEC) hosts the Bulldogs (15-3, 2-2) at Food City Center on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network). The Lady Vols are coming off a 30-point road win against Arkansas.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup.
Tennessee needs solid 3-point shooting
When Kentucky blew out Mississippi State, the Wildcats went 18-for-33 from 3-point range. Kentucky point guard Georgia Amoore was able to shoot off screens and found open shooters on the perimeter consistently.
Kentucky had multiple shooters to space the floor, which allowed it to consistently find the open player and get them a shot before Mississippi State could close out. Tennessee has the personnel to do the same, but it has to be committed to moving the ball, getting good drives into the paint and make the extra pass.
All three of MSU’s losses have that in common. Georgia Tech (12-38) and South Carolina (10-21) also had strong 3-point shooting performances against the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State led by pair of veteran guards
Graduate guard Jerkaila Jordan leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 15.6 points per game. She was one of the best guards in the conference last season, and she is more than capable of putting up 20-30 points.
Graduate guard Eniya Russell averages 13.6 points and leads the team in assists (4.2 per game). Jordan and Russell both average around four 3-point attempts, although both shoot below 31%. Both are great getting to the rim.
Debreasha Powe is MSU’s best shooter. She’s shooting 43.2% on 35 made 3-pointers this season. Center Madina Okot will be a handful for Tennessee to defend. The 6-foot-6 junior is averaging 12 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 69.3% from the field.
More on the Bulldogs’ other losses
There are a few other things in common with MSU’s three losses besides strong 3-point shooting.
Georgia Tech and South Carolina both held the Bulldogs under their offensive rebounding average (12.9). Georgia Tech only committed six turnovers while forcing MSU into 17 turnovers that led to 13 points. South Carolina only had nine turnovers and forced 20 that led to 23 points.
MSU didn’t hit its season average for steals (8.2) or forced turnovers (17.4) in any loss, and while Kentucky lost the turnover battle 14-10, it outscored MSU’s points off turnovers, 15-8.
Georgia Tech was the only team the Bulldogs’ outrebounded, but it made up for it by winning the possession battle. The Yellow Jackets took 20 more shots than MSU, which couldn’t keep pace with their 3-point shooting.
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Lady Vols vs Mississippi State injury updates
- Lady Vols fifth-year senior Tess Darby returned to the court against Arkansas after missing the LSU game with a rolled ankle.
- Tennessee is without senior guard Kaiya Wynn, who’s out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
- Mississippi State Anaisha Carriere has been out since the beginning of conference play. Russell was a game-time decision Sunday at Georgia but played 38 minutes and scored a team-high 21 points, nine assists and six rebounds.
How to watch Lady Vols vs Mississippi State: Time, TV channel, live stream
Lady Vols vs. Mississippi State tips off at 7 p.m ET on Thursday and will be broadcast on SEC Network. Streaming options for the game include Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Lady Vols vs Mississippi State prediction
Tennessee 87, Mississippi State 73: This is an opportunity for the Lady Vols to prove they can impose their will in a clash of styles. If Tennessee can do the same thing Georgia Tech and South Carolina did defensively and on the boards, this will be a solid win for the Lady Vols.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
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