Coming into Thursday’s top-15 matchup between Mississippi State and South Carolina women’s basketball, each team’s strength was clear.
No. 7 MSU could rebound the ball better than almost anyone in the country, led by All-American senior center Teaira McCowan. No. 15 USC had explosive guards who could put up points in bunches.
Sure enough, both teams got exactly that in a thrilling battle that went deep into the fourth quarter before the final outcome was clear. Ultimately, however, the Bulldogs’ prowess on the boards was too much, as they handed the Gamecocks an 89-74 defeat.
South Carolina (12-5, 4-1 SEC) made two-thirds of its shots in the first quarter, led by junior guard Tyasha Harris, who made a pair of 3-pointers early, and redshirt junior guard Te’a Cooper, who added a buzzer-beater from beyond the arc to close the score to 26-23 after 10 minutes.