Mississippi State is playing for respect, while Baylor wants to get back to the Final Four, this time in its own backyard.
The Bulldogs and Lady Bears each survived and advanced on Friday night at the Oklahoma City Regional at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The second-seeded Bulldogs fended off third-seeded Washington, 75-64, in the early game on Friday night. In doing so, Mississippi State (32-4) reached the Elite Eight for the first time.
"We were really happy in the locker room," Bulldogs guard Dominique Dillingham said. "Just happy because we know how hard we worked to get to this point.