South Carolina 95-68 Mississippi State (January 5, 2025) Game Recap

STARKVILLE, Miss. — — Chloe Kitts had 17 points and 10 rebounds to help No. 2 South Carolina erase a double-digit deficit and beat Mississippi State 95-68 on Sunday.

Mississippi State had an 11-point lead midway through the second quarter before the game changed. South Carolina outscored the Bulldogs 19-2 in the final five minutes of the period, taking the lead and extending it to 42-34 at halftime. The Gamecocks never looked back.

The reigning national champions beat the Bulldogs 26:11 in the third round and thus secured defeat. The Gamecocks (13-1, 2-0 SEC) got 20 points from Tessa Johnson, who hit four 3-pointers. Te-Hina PaoPao finished the game with 15 points, five assists and four rebounds and Joyce Edwards had 10 points.

Jerkaila Jordan had 24 points to lead the Bulldogs (13-3, 0-2). Destiney McPhaul had 14 points off the bench and Eniya Russell scored 12.

Takeaways

Mississippi State: It was a solid first strike for the Bulldogs, but the team played too sloppy to pull off the upset.

South Carolina: While it remains to be seen whether the Gamecocks can win another SEC and national championship, they certainly looked like part of a team that could get it done in the final 25 minutes.

Key moment

After the Bulldogs led 34-28 with nearly four minutes left in the first half, South Carolina went on a 34-2 run to clinch the game. The Bulldogs’ turnovers and the Gamecocks’ recovery from the field did the rest, as State had 20 turnovers and South Carolina made 10 of 21 3-point shots.

Next

Mississippi State hosts No. 9 Oklahoma on Thursday, while the Gamecocks host No. 2 Texas A&M.

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