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Round of 32 NCAA Tournament Preview: No. 1 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State

By Ben Dull

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 03: Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs guard Victoria Vivians (35) dribbles the ball against the Texas A
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 03: Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs guard Victoria Vivians (35) dribbles the ball against the Texas A /
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The Mississippi State Bulldogs, the No. 1 seed in the Kansas City Region, defeated Nicholls 95-50 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. They’ll take on the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in round two, who topped Syracuse 84-57 in their opener.

A look at the numbers for this second round matchup:

  • Mississippi State extends their pressure often and has Teaira McCowan in the paint to erase opponent tries at the rim. The Bulldogs average fewer than 11 turnovers per game, which really maximizes their opportunities to set their defense.
  • The battle on the glass may determine this outcome. Mississippi State rebounds 38% of available misses; Oklahoma State’s 72.2% defensive rebounding rate ranks 28th in the country.
  • Oklahoma State gets to the line quite often. Their 33.7% free throw rate puts them in the 86th percentile. Mississippi State’s guards both pressure the ball and keep people in front of them. Dribble penetration won’t come easy against the Bulldogs. Something’s going to have to give there.

With the help of HerHoopStats, here’s a look at the Four Factors (defined in their glossary) for each team:

Players to watch in this one:

  • Loryn Goodwin is an explosive scorer that can get it done at all three levels. She had 19 points, five rebounds, eight assists and five steals in OSU’s win over Syracuse.
  • Kaylee Jensen is a powerful force inside with a nice midrange game. Jensen had 19 points and 12 rebounds in the opener, right on par with her per game averages of 18.6 points and 10.8 rebounds.
  • Redshirt freshman Jaden Hobbs averaged just 4.7 points per game in the regular season. She went off on Saturday, connecting on eight of her nine three-pointers.
  • Victoria Vivians took her game to another level this season playing primarily as a four. She’s shooting 40.5% from deep this season. The threat of her outside shot forces defenses to step all the way out to her. Vivians has leveraged that beautifully this season, recognizing she’s often guarded by bigger forwards that can’t contain her off the bounce.

Stats obtained via HerHoopStats.

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