TUPELO – Looking to make a statement to its fanbase, the Mississippi State women’s basketball team did that and more.
The Bulldogs used three free throws by Destiney McPhaul with 0.2 seconds left to beat the Belmont Bruins 73-70 on Saturday afternoon at Cadence Bank Arena.
“This is a huge, huge win,” Bulldogs coach Sam Purcell said. “And I’ll be at church tomorrow.”
The Bruins (5-5) tied it on a layup by Tuti Jones with 2.3 to go. On State’s ensuing play, McPhaul got the ball at mid-court, heaved up a shot and drew a foul.
“I feel like anybody on the team could have stepped up and hit those free throws,” she said. “It was just my time today, and I was able to knock them down. My teammates believed in me, and we was able to get it done.”
Mississippi State (10-1) went into the fourth down 49-41, unable to keep Belmont’s shooters at bay for long enough to fully close the gap up to that point. The Bruins shot 38% from three in the first three quarters.
The Bulldogs then started the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to make it 53-51 with 6:34 remaining. The Bruins responded with a two and a free throw, but MSU countered with eight straight points. The last two came on a second-chance layup by Madina Okot.
Okot had 11 points and 15 rebounds in the contest, including seven and five in the fourth quarter, respectively. Her efforts were a big reason the Bulldogs were able to finally right the ship.
“Today, I think she found out what grit is,” Purcell said. “They doubled her, they hit her hard, they prevented her, but you know what? We found out a lot about that kid, because shout out to our fan base.
“They were unbelievable, they were energetic, and she seized the moment. She had a huge, huge, huge bucket, but most important, big rebounds for us, too.”
Jerkaila Jordan led the Bulldogs with 24 points and 15 rebounds. McPhaul had 13 points.
For Purcell, the win went beyond the court. It went to fans in attendance who often make the hour-plus drive to Humphrey Coliseum to support the Bulldogs.
“This game was more than just basketball. It was an opportunity to make a statement,” he said. “For our fans who go out of their way and then us to do a nice gesture to come back to them. So thank you.”
The Bulldogs return to action on Tuesday when they travel to face Louisiana-Monroe. Tip-off is at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.
