STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Victoria Vivians scored 22 points, Roshunda Johnson added 18 and No. 7 Mississippi State beat Virginia 68-53 on Friday night.
Virginia kept things close for a while, tying the game at 18 midway through the second quarter. But Mississippi State methodically pulled away from that point, pushing ahead 33-23 at halftime and 54-37 after the third quarter.
Vivians shot 8 of 15 from the field while Johnson made four 3-pointers. Freshman forward Chloe Bibby added 13 points.
It was an emotional night for Mississippi State, which raised its national finalist banner to the Humphrey Coliseum rafters during a pregame ceremony.