Mississippi State women's basketball beats Georgia Tech in WBIT, next faces TCU
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State's pressure was apparent from the outset.
A 20-7 lead at the end of the first quarter and the Bulldogs up 39-18 at halftime said everything you needed to know about their first-round game in the inaugural WBIT.
No. 2 seed MSU defeated No. 7 Georgia Tech 84-47 at Humphrey Coliseum on Thursday night to advance to Sunday's second-round game against No. 3 seed TCU (21-11), which beat North Texas. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT and will be on ESPN+.
Jessika Carter, Darrione Rogers and Jasmine Brown-Hagger seemingly couldn't miss a shot, and the Bulldogs' defense restricted Georgia Tech (17-16) to shooting 29% from the floor. The pieces were all there and then some.
Here's a look at how Mississippi State (22-11) advanced in the WBIT.
Offense started red-hot
MSU began the game 11-0 with persistent offensive pressure from Carter and Rogers, who combined for 19 points by halftime. Rogers was 3-for-4 from 3-point range and 4-for-6 from the field. At the same time, Carter looked like she came down with every rebound (seven).
Defense locks up
Georgia Tech's first basket came with 4:13 remaining in the first quarter from a layup by Tonie Morgan. However, it wasn't a fluke that the Yellow Jackets were missing their offense — MSU's defense didn't give any good looks.
Constant press, getting back on fast breaks, contested layups in the paint, and fast switches while playing man-to-man led to Georgia Tech being unable even to get open. The 47 points was the lowest number it had held a team to since Dec. 29 against Mississippi Valley State, when MSU gave up 35.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger's huge performance
Jasmine Brown-Hagger had scored in double-digits just once this season, also against Mississippi Valley State, and is averaging 1.7 points. On Thursday, she finished with 17, and had five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
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Lauren Park-Lane assist record
Lauren Park-Lane went into the game with 197 assists this season. She added six against Georgia Tech and now is the single-season assists record holder at MSU, surpassing Jazzmun Holmes' 202, which she set in the 2018-19 season.
What's next?
As the higher seed, MSU will get to stay at home to play No. 3 seed TCU at Humphrey Coliseum. The Horned Frogs defeated North Texas 67-58.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion-Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State women's basketball tops Georgia Tech in WBIT opener
