Downed by the Ducks: Mississippi State drops first game of season to Oregon
Mississippi State's 46-game regular season non-conference winning streak was snapped by Oregon.
Downed by the Ducks: Mississippi State drops first game of season to Oregon Mississippi State's 46-game regular season non-conference winning streak was snapped by Oregon. Check out this story on clarionledger.com: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/mississippi-state/2018/12/18/mississippi-state-womens-basketball-bulldogs-oregon-ducks-ncaa-vic-schaefer-teaira-mccowan-howard/2359985002/
Tyler Horka, Mississippi Clarion Ledger Published 11:44 p.m. CT Dec. 18, 2018 | Updated 3:52 p.m. CT Dec. 19, 2018
Mississippi State lost a regular season non-conference game for the first time since Dec. 2, 2015. The Bulldogs had won 46 regular season non-conference games in a row.(Photo: Orlin Wagner, AP)
Tuesday night, No. 4 Mississippi State did something it hadn't done in over three years: lose a non-conference regular season basketball game. The Bulldogs fell victim to No. 7 Oregon, 82-74, on the road.
The matchup featured the nation's two highest scoring offenses. In the first half, Mississippi State (10-1) was able to keep up with Oregon (9-1). That wasn't the case in the second half.
The two teams traded buckets throughout the first 20 minutes as Mississippi State took a 40-39 lead into halftime. A 6-0 run from the Ducks to end the third quarter gave Oregon a two-point lead heading into the final frame.
With the help from a rowdy crowd of 8,951 wearing various shades of neon green, Oregon commanded the fourth on both ends of the floor and outscored State by six in the quarter.
"I'm disappointed," head coach Vic Schaefer said. "I thought we got out-toughed all night long. Give credit to Oregon. That's something we take great pride in is winning the toughness battle."
Schaefer added: "It's one thing to talk the talk, it's another thing to walk the walk, and Oregon walked the walk tonight. They out-toughed us, they got every loose ball, every 50-50 ball, every tough rebound."
MSU Senior center Teaira McCowan was aggravated by Oregon's toughness all night. She never found a rhythm offensively with Oregon's defenders playing tight defense. Too tight at times, perhaps. McCowan finished with five points on 2-of-5 shooting.
"We all were locked in on the defensive end because that's where we knew we were going to have to win," Oregon junior guard Sabrina Ionescu said to ESPN's Holly Rowe after the game.
Ionescu scored 29 points, 17 of which came from the free throw line. The Ducks went 27-of-28 from the line. Oregon came into the game with the country's No. 1 scoring offense. The team's scheme gave Mississippi State's defense fits.
McCowan's assignment on defense constantly screened up for the Oregon ball-handlers, which forced McCowan out of the paint. When her assignment rolled off the screen toward the basket, McCowan was late to hustle back multiple times. Oregon manufactured many easy baskets that way.
McCowan didn't look like her usual self Tuesday night. Schaefer yanked her from the lineup midway through the fourth quarter, and that's where she remained when the clock read 0.00 at the end of the game.
Senior forward Anriel Howard was also on the bench when the buzzer sounded. She had a career night with 30 points on 12-of-17 from the field, but she ultimately fouled out late in the fourth. Senior guard Jordan Danberry fouled out as well.
The Bulldogs are forced to regroup rather quickly. Mississippi State plays Washington on Thursday night.
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