#3/6 Bulldogs Blow Past Trojans

STARKVILLE, Miss. – No. 3/6 Mississippi State blew past Little Rock women's basketball by a score of 86-48 on Sunday at Humphrey Coliseum.
 
Three Trojans found themselves with double-digit point totals. Kyra Collier tallied 11 points, a team-high five rebounds and two assists. Monique Townson put up a season-high 11 points with four rebounds and an assist. Freshman Teal Battle finished with a career-high 10 points off the bench as she went 3-for-3 from the field and 4-for-4 from the foul line.
 
The Bulldogs (9-0) had four players in double figures as Morgan William led the game with 16 points and four assists. Teaira McCowan had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Victoria Vivians also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Blair Schaefer was the fourth Bulldog in double figures with 10 points.
 
Mississippi State ended the first quarter with a 17-10 lead after shooting 8-for-17 (47.1%). The Trojans were 5-for-12 (41.7%) as Collier led the Trojans with four points. Down 15-4, Little Rock went on a 6-0 run with two jumpers by Collier and a jumper by Keanna Keys to cut the deficit to five. The Bulldogs ended the quarter with a seven-point lead after a jumper by Jazzmun Holmes.
 
The Bulldogs upped their lead to 43-28 at halftime after outscoring the Trojans 26-18 in the second quarter. Both sides had the same exact shooting percentage in the second quarter as they did in the first quarter, but Mississippi State was 2-for-4 from three and 8-for-10 from the foul line. Little Rock was 1-for-4 from three and 7-for-8 from the charity stripe. At the half, Keys led the Trojans with eight points after scoring six of her eight in the second quarter.
 
Little Rock had its worst quarter of the year in the third as Mississippi State outscored the Trojans 25-2. After both squads exchanged jumpers early in the period, the Bulldogs finished the quarter on a 23-0 run. Little Rock's two points in the quarter were the fewest since quarters were implemented in 2015-16.
 
The Trojans put up a fight in the fourth quarter by matching the Bulldogs' 18 points.  Battle came off the bench and scored 10 consecutive points for Little Rock with three jumpers and four foul shots. The Trojans were 7-for-15 (46.7%) in the quarter — their best-shooting quarter of the game.
 
Little Rock finished the game shooting 34 percent (18-for-53) while Mississippi State shot 50 percent (33-for-66).
 
Little Rock will now have nearly a week to prepare for its next game against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas, on Dec. 16., at 2 p.m. The game will air live on ESPN3.