12/19/05
Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - After earning their first road victory on Thursday over New Orleans (79-59), the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs (3-6) return home to host the 17th MSU Classic Dec. 19-20 at Humphrey Coliseum. MSU faces Morehead State (5-2) on Monday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. while 20th-ranked Purdue meets Centenary in the early game at 4:30 p.m. The consolation and championship games will be played at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

State is 30-3 in the 16-year history of the Mississippi State Classic. Head coach Sharon Fanning has totaled a 16-0 record in her previous 10 years at State hosting the Classic. This year's field will be a homecoming of sorts. Morehead State head coach Matthew Mitchell graduated from State in 1995 and was a former assistant coach at Kentucky for the past two years. Centenary head coach Elizabeth Wamsley lettered for the Lady Bulldogs from 1997-00. She was a three-time Academic all-SEC selection during her four-year career.

MSU comes home after a two-game road trip to Louisiana Tech and New Orleans. Despite a late half rally to pull within four, Louisiana Tech was able to tally points on the free-throw line for the 52-41 win. State then secured a decisive 79-59 win over New Orleans at its displaced homecourt in Tyler, Texas. Freshman Robin Porter continues to lead the Lady Bulldogs with 11.6 points per game while junior Natasha Henderson is pulling down 5.9 rebounds per game. Three freshmen continue to earn a starting roll in Porter, Heather Hollis and Marneshia Richard. Henderson and senior Blessing Chekwa round out the starting five as the veterans.

The Lady Bulldogs lead the overall series vs. Morehead State, 2-0. The two have squared off in Starkville in a previous MSU Classic on Dec. 3, 1983 with the Lady Bulldogs triumphing, 67-61. State has won the neutral meeting at the Lady Blazer Classic, 90-53, on Dec. 30, 1995.

Morehead State (5-2) lost its most recent game at Murray State, 85-74. The Lady Eagles are 1-1 on the road this season. MSU is led by junior center LaKrisha Brown with 17.6 ppg and 10.3 rpg, while sophomore guard Anitha Smith-Williams is averaging 11.9 ppg and sophomore guard Megen Gearhart is totaling 11.7 ppg. Morehead State went 5-22 last season and 3-13 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Lady Eagles returned nine letterwinners to the 2005-06 squad including five starters.

The loser of the contest will face the loser of the Centenary/Purdue match-up at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20 and the winners will meet at 7 p.m. that night.

Source: MSU Media Relations

12/13/05
Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - After snapping its five-game losing streak to Maine (80-55) on Sunday, the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs take the road for a two-game road swing this week. MSU travels to Ruston, La. to face Louisiana Tech on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. in the first of a doubleheader with Tech' men's team. State will then travel to Tyler, Texas to face New Orleans on its new homecourt for the 2005-06 season, on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.

The Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs (2-5) snapped a five-game losing skid with an 80-55 win over the Maine Black Bears Sunday. State was led by freshman guard Heather Hollis' career-high 22 points. Hollis went a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line in the win. Fellow freshman guard Robin Porter tallied double digits with 16 points and junior forward/center Natasha Henderson added 12 of her own. This was the second time this season and in Lady Bulldog history that four freshman started the game (Hollis, Porter, Marneshia Richard, Lauren Roberts). Head coach Sharon Fanning is five wins closer to reaching her 500th career milestone win. Freshman guard Robin Porter is leading the Lady Bulldogs with 12.9 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game followed by Hollis with 9.6 ppg and a .864 free-throw percentage.

Louisiana Tech (4-2) is 2-0 at home this year including its most recent win over Grambling State, 84-55. There are three Lady Techsters averaging double digits: senior guard Tasha Williams is averaging 14.3 ppg, senior guard Aarica Ray-Boyd has 12.3 ppg and freshman guard Eboni Mangum with 11.3 ppg. La Tech advanced to the NCAA First Round last season under former head coach Kurt Budke. LT returned eight letterwinners to the 2005-06 squad, including four starters in Margaret DeCiman, Tamika Kursch, Shan Moore and Williams.

Louisiana Tech leads the overall series 3-2 and has won all three meetings in Ruston. State took the encounter last season on Nov. 30, 2004 in Starkville, 72-55. Junior guard and Welsh, La. native, Sarah Johnson transferred from Louisiana Tech to Mississippi State the 2003-04 season and is now eligible this season for the Maroon and White.

New Orleans (2-4) has suffered three straight losses vs. Birmingham-Southern (67-45) at Kansas (100-50) and vs. Nicholls State (55-51). Sophomore Ashley Sentimore is leading the Privateers with 14.8 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game followed by freshman guard Jada Frazier with 9.7 ppg. UNO went 2-13 in the Sun Belt Conference last year under then first year head coach Amy Champion. The Privateers lost seven letterwinners, returning four to the 2005-06 squad.

MSU leads the overall series with New Orleans, 9-3, including taking the last meeting in Starkville last year, 91-50. State has won the last eight straight encounters. MSU is 4-1 when playing UNO in New Orleans and 1-2 when playing at a neutral site. Former Lady Bulldog Ashley Sentimore transferred to New Orleans after the 2003-04 season and is now eligible after sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.

After the two-game road trip, the Lady Bulldogs will host the MSU Classic on Dec. 19-20 with Centenary, Morehead State and Purdue.

Source: MSU Media Relations