Playing the underdog to Mississippi State is just what Dawn Staley wants for USC
Who: No. 15 South Carolina (12-4, 4-0 SEC) vs. No. 7 Mississippi State (16-1, 4-0 SEC)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17
Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Mississippi
Watch: ESPN
Radio: 1320 AM in Columbia/Sirius XM
Series history: South Carolina owns the edge in the all-time series with a 21-17 record against Mississippi State, including a 12-1 mark over the last 13 contests dating to 2011.
Last meeting: The Gamecocks took down the Bulldogs in last season’s SEC tournament championship game by getting MSU’s star center, Teaira McCowan, in foul trouble early and riding a complete team performance to their fourth consecutive title.
STORYLINES
Taking out McCowan: Mississippi State is defined by its All-American center, Teaira McCowan. Officially listed as 6-foot-7, she’s one of the tallest, toughest players in the country and a nightmare to defend and keep off the boards.
When the Gamecocks traveled to Starkville last season, McCowan had just nine points but killed USC with 20 rebounds and three blocks. When the teams met again in the SEC tournament championship a month later, she had just six points and six rebounds.
The difference was simple: The second time around, South Carolina attacked and harassed her constantly, getting her in foul trouble and forcing coach Vic Schaefer to put her on the bench. She played just four minutes in the first half and 24 total, compared to 19 and 39, respectively, in the first game.
So when asked how the Gamecocks hope to contain Mississippi State’s powerful offense, USC head coach Dawn Staley’s answer was obvious: “Watch our tournament championship.”
Staley didn’t come right out and say exactly how the Gamecocks plan to get McCowan in foul trouble early, but she made it clear that doing so will be crucial.
“We certainly have to make her play on both sides of the ball ... we’re going to attack her. We’re going to try to do what we need to do to eliminate her production. The more minutes she’s on the floor, she’s a really hard guard for anybody in the country, so we got to go at her,” Staley said.
Redshirt senior forward Alexis Jennings, who will likely bear the brunt of defending McCowan, said the key on that end of the floor will be to not give her enough room to operate.
“The game plan is really just to stay attached with her, not to give her any space. She’s pretty good in space. ... As long as we stay attached to her and try to deny her as many touches as possible, I think we’ll get the job done,” Jennings said.
Rebounding with the very best: McCowan is second in the nation in rebounding, with an average of 13.3 boards per game. And she’s not the only weapon the Bulldogs have to attack the glass — redshirt senior forward Anriel Howard was second in the SEC last year in rebounding and averages 7.9 per game this season.
McCowan and Howard’s combined average of 21.2 rebounds per game is the second most of any teammate combo in the country, and they lead a group that ranks second in the nation in rebounding margin, rebounding rate and offensive rebounds per game.
So one might think Staley and the Gamecocks are tempted just to give up on rebounding in their strategy and focus on other aspects of the game. But that’s not the case.
“The game will be won, I would say, on broken plays, on rebounding,” Staley said.
That fits with her overall mindset of attacking MSU, not just in its weakest areas, but also in its strengths.
“You have to fight aggression with aggression. When they’re able to turn you over and get down in transition, they are really a hard team to stop. In the halfcourt, there are certain things that they like to do. I think we have an understanding of what they like to do.” Staley said.
So how does South Carolina plan on taking the fight to Mississippi State on the boards?
“You have to make your guards become rebounders. And that’s hard. You gotta take care of them as far as blocking McCowan and Howard out, and then our other guards have to scoop in some rebounds. It’s an all-player rebounding effort,” Staley said.
Underdogs in a hostile atmosphere: Projections and pundits have South Carolina losing this game, and not by a particularly close score. That’s just the way Staley likes it.
“Our kids, they get up, they absolutely get up, especially when we feel like we’re the underdog,” Staley said. “Going into the (2018) SEC tournament, no one thought we would come out with the win. Going into the (2017) national championship, they beat UConn, so they just thought it was a foregone conclusion they would win.
“And our players in that mode right now where no one really thinks we’re going to win the basketball game because of whatever reasons, rankings, them being at home. It’s a great setup for our team.”
Staley also said she’s expecting the atmosphere at Humphrey Coliseum to be as loud and as intense as it was a year ago, when MSU sold out the arena.
“We’re swinging to knock each other out. It’s very, very competitive. It’s a battle of wills. ... I’m just excited for our kids to play in this atmosphere,” Staley said.
And while the game won’t ultimately determine the outcome of the season for either team, everyone involved knows the significance.
“It’s really big. They’re kind of our rival and we’re both undefeated in the SEC right now and we got a little going back in history. So it’s big for us but we gotta stay focused and stay with the game plan and just come in there like it’s a regular game,” junior guard Tyasha Harris said.
“Obviously early in the year, it’s a big game. There’s so much basketball left in our season, but certainly you’ve got two top-15 teams, so it’s an exciting time for us,” Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said.
NOTES
South Carolina projected starting lineup: Junior guard Tyasha Harris, redshirt junior guard Te’a Cooper, redshirt senior guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore, redshirt senior forward Alexis Jennings, junior forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan
Mississippi State projected starting lineup: Senior guard Jordan Danberry, senior guard Jazzmun Holmes, sophomore forward Chloe Bibby, redshirt senior forward Anriel Howard, senior center Teaira McCowan
South Carolina key stats: After making three 3-pointers in its first two SEC games, South Carolina has made 15 over the last two and is averaging 6.25 per game this year, which would be a high under Dawn Staley. ... The Gamecocks are shooting 42.7 percent from the field this season, ninth in the SEC and what would be its worst mark in a season since 2012-2013. ... Just one Gamecock is averaging in double figures in points per game this season, but 11 are averaging 3.5 points or more. The most to do that in program history over a season is 10. ... Tyasha Harris ranks second in the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.65, behind only MSU guard Jazzmun Holmes.
Mississippi State key stats: The Bulldogs currently rank fifth nationally in blocked shots per game with an average of 6.8. McCowan leads the team with 2.65 rejections per contest. ... MSU has taken the second most free throws in the country, 401, which averages out to 23.6 attempts per game. The team has made 291 of them, the most makes in the NCAA. ... The program record for points per game over a season is 81.1, set last year. The Bulldogs are currently averaging 91.1 points per game.
