Lady Bulldogs Fall To Seminoles In Tallehassee 75-59
Via Media Relastions
Playing in their first true road game of the season, the Mississippi State Lady Bulldog Basketball squad dropped a 75-59 decision to Florida State at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla. The loss extends State’s losing steak to five straight games.
MState opened the game starting four freshmen and a junior in the lineup. Junior Natasha Henderson and freshman Marneshia Richard started for the first time in their Lady Bulldog careers. MSU opened the scoring with a three pointer by Heather Hollis to take its only lead of the contest. FSU advantage of offensive boards in the opening half, posting 13 boards and turning them into 12 second chance points. The Seminoles opened up the margin with a 13-5 scoring run that spanned over the final five minutes of the first half, stretching their lead out to as many as 13 points. The Garnett and Gold took an 11-point advantage into the halftime intermission at 33-22.
In the second stanza, the Lady Bulldogs sliced the double-figure deficit to nine points twice in the final half. At the 12:43 mark of the half, State got within nine, but the homestanding Seminoles stretched the lead out to as many as 18 points near the four-minute mark.
“We were focused better in the second half,” said MSU head coach Sharon Fanning. “We cut it down to nine, but had a couple of mistakes to let them push the lead back out. It’s just a matter of plugging away.”
The Maroon and White (1-5) finished the day 21-of-26 from the charity stripe and shot 44 percent in the second half. FSU concluded shooting 41 percent for the game and out-rebounded the Lady Bulldogs 48-35.
MSU had three players in double figures in the scoring column, Sulligent, Ala. native Heather Hollis leading the squad with 13 points. Freshman Robin Porter and senior Mamie McKinney each recorded 12 points. McKinney, a product of Tallahasse, Fla. posted three assists and three steals.
FSU was led by the tandem of Brittany Miller and Tane Davis Cain; each registered 12 points each to lead the Seminoles to a 5-1 start.
The Lady Bulldogs will take a break from competition this upcoming week due to final exams on the MSU campus. Their next action will be Sunday, Dec. 11 when the University of Maine visits Humphrey Coliseum. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
