STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball coach Sam Purcell often boasts about the depth and parity of the SEC. On any night, he has said, any team can win.
He saw the upside of that, with MSU’s win against LSU – the reigning national champions – on Jan. 29. He’s also seen the downside of it, with Mississippi State losing 78-68 against Kentucky at Humphrey Coliseum on Thursday.
In less than two weeks, the Bulldogs (20-8, 7-6 SEC) have suffered losses against Florida and Kentucky – two teams with nine combined conference victories this year. With a loss at Ole Miss sandwiched between, Mississippi State has turned a five-game winning streak into a three-game losing skid.
The loss against the Wildcats (11-16, 4-9) came despite another strong night from All-SEC center Jessika Carter. She finished with 20 points and 20 rebounds after collecting 25 points and 13 rebounds in a Feb. 1 overtime win at Kentucky.
Debreasha Powe, who finished with nine points, was the lone MSU starter to not finish in double figures. It still wasn’t enough against the SEC’s second-worst scoring offense.
Lauren Park-Lane helps MSU overcome slow start
Kentucky built a lead as large as nine in the first half behind an 11-23 (47.8%) shooting start from the field. UK out-scoring MSU 27-22 in the first quarter was a stark contrast from when the teams met in Lexington on Feb. 1 and Mississippi State won the opening frame 10-9.
However, MSU guard Lauren Park-Lane carried MSU to trim the deficit to one point at halftime. She scored eight of Mississippi State’s 12 points in the second quarter, including the final six points of MSU’s 8-0 run to close the frame.
Park-Lane finished with 13 points and six assists. She is 31 assists shy of matching Mississippi State’s single-season assist record which was set by Jazzmun Holmes (202) in the 2018-2019 season.
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What’s next on Mississippi State’s schedule
MSU plays its next two on the road, starting Sunday (4 p.m., SEC Network) with a trip to Alabama for the lone meeting between the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide this season. State closes February with a contest at Auburn on Feb. 29 before returning home for the regular season finale on March 3 against Missouri.
MSU entered Thursday tied with Alabama for fifth in the SEC standings. The top four seeds earn a double-bye in the conference tournament.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State women’s basketball loses vs. Kentucky, extends losing skid
