M-State Moves Into Finals With Win Over Morehead State
Via Media Relations
Junior Natasha Henderson matched a career high with 12 points as Mississippi State defeated Morehead State 78-65 in game two of the 2005 Mississippi State Classic here on Monday night.
The victory was State’s second-consecutive, and its third in four games as the Lady Bulldogs moved to 4-6 on the year. Morehead State dropped its second-straight and fell to 5-3 on the season.
Senior Blessing Chekwa scored four points on one possession as State pushed its advantage to 68-56 with 3:42 remaining; and the Lady Bulldogs made six of eight free throws and added two layups down the stretch to secure the victory.
Each of Mississippi State’s 10 players recorded an assist, and MSU went to the free throw line a season-high 27 times.
“We got 32 points off of the bench, and we could see better all-around team play,” Mississippi State head coach Sharon Fanning said. “We’re starting to gain confidence in each other, and we did a much better job of getting to the free-throw line.”
Morehead State’s Megen Gearhart’s 15 points led five Lady Eagles in double-digits, and junior LaKrisha Brown posted her sixth double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and pulling down 15 rebounds.
Mississippi State led 32-23 at the break after outshooting the Lady Eagles 39 percent to 29 percent. The Lady Bulldogs also forced 14 Morehead State turnovers, but were outrebounded 24-19.
In the first period, the Lady Bulldogs outscored Morehead State 20-4 in the paint and State’s bench poured in 15 points to the Lady Eagle’s one point from a reserve.
Junior Patti White connected on a pair of three-pointers to begin the second half and cut Mississippi State’s lead to 32-29 before a quick Bulldog timeout with 19:07 left in the contest. After a Heather Hollis layup, Morehead State cut the lead to two on Brown’s three-point play.
But State used a 9-0 run to take an 11-point lead at 43-32 with just over 16 minutes to play, and never trailed.
Senior Mamie McKinney tied the MSU Classic record with a career-best four blocked shots, and her 53 all-time rejections moved her into eighth all-time at Mississippi State.
Mississippi State will advance to play No. 20 Purdue in tomorrow’s championship game at 7:00 p.m. CT. Morehead State will play Centenary in the consolation game at 4:30 p.m.
Postgame Quotes
Mississippi State Head Coach Sharon Fanning
Opening Comments:
“I’ve talked about finding a way to win for years now, and this team is learning what that means. Going into the game, Morehead State had four players who were averaging over forty percent from behind the three-point line. We had trouble communicating on how to guard them in the beginning, but down the stretch I thought we did a good job. We got offensive boards and we got to the free-throw line a lot. We’re starting to understand terminology and we’re starting to believe in ourselves.”
On Natasha Henderson:
“This was Natasha?s best first half that she has had at MSU. She’s gaining confidence and understanding positioning a lot better. When she can communicate with her teammates and understand what is supposed to happen it shows that she has been listening and working hard to get better. She did a good job around the rim, taking the ball at them and rebounding well.”
On Miayorka Johnson:
“I thought that the past three ballgames Miayorka has given us a lift off the bench. She?s posting well, she’s running the floor harder, handling the ball better, taking good shots and defending better. You look at the balance she has coming off the bench and that says a lot about her play.”
MSU Players
Natasha Henderson, Junior Forward/Center
Opening Comments:
“We played well. We strive to get better in our rebounding, boxing out, and shot selection.”
On put-back baskets:
“I know that one of my strong points is rebounding so I try to do that as well as I possibly can. Each ball I get off the board I try to put back up to the best of my ability.”
Doceide Warren, Senior Guard
On her game tonight:
“I am getting back into the flow of things. I am trying to get everybody use to me right now. I am still in and out of practices.”
On playing Purdue:
“Tomorrow night we are going to come in and play like we did today. We need to play team defense and watch film. As far as preparation, we are going to get ready for it the same way and take it one game at a time.”
On your progress:
“I am getting better. I am basically the same, but just a little bit slow. I am working my way back. I am going to continue to play because I am not scared of hurting myself. I am going to work hard and give it all that I can when I am on the court.”
Morehead State Head Coach Matthew Mitchell
Opening comments:
“We played a hard-fought game. Both teams competed hard, but we were not athletic enough to compete with a team like Mississippi State. We had too many breakdowns on defense tonight to win. Our girls kept trying to battle, but we could not capitalize on any opportunities we had.”
On scoring in the second half:
“At halftime, we focused on offense. We were happy that we held Mississippi State under 40 percent shooting in the first half. At the beginning of the second half we made some quick threes, but we could not keep up that intensity. Defensively, we were pleased; but we could not match our shots with our stops.”
On coming back to play his alma mater:
“It was special to come back to Mississippi State. I have spent a lot of time on this campus. Coach Fanning is one of the best coaches in the country. She spent a lot of time with me when I was coaching high school basketball in the state. She was a wonderful teacher, and I learned a lot about coaching by getting to work with her.”
