Georgia returns to action on Sunday at 2 p.m. when it hosts Belmont. Landers is now two victories shy of becoming the eighth basketball coach - men's or women's - to record 800 wins at a single NCAA Division I school. The other coaches who have done so are: Geno Auriemma, Jim Boehim, Pat Summitt, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Phelan, Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith.
OXFORD, Miss. - Led by three players in double figures, the Ole Miss women's basketball team beat Northwestern State, 67-51, Friday morning in the annual Kid's Day Game.
In front of the ninth-largest crowd in school history, 3,866 fans, Ole Miss improved to 2-0 while Northwestern State fell to 2-1.
With the win, acting head coach Brett Frank becomes just the second head coach in Ole Miss women's basketball history to win his first two games with the Rebels. Van Chancellor opened his first season 7-0.
Diara Moore and Tia Faleru each scored 13 points for Ole Miss while Valencia McFarland added 12 points, five steals and three assists. The 13 points tied Faleru's career high while McFarland has now recorded 44 career double-figure scoring games.
"I thought we came out flat a little early and didn't have much energy to us," acting head coach Brett Frank said. "Fortunately, we turned the corner in the middle of the first half and went on a run. That was all the girls with picking up their energy and pressuring the ball more aggressively."
After a 2-0 start to the game for Ole Miss, NSU responded with a 9-2 run and pushed its lead to seven, 16-9, with 10:27 left to play. The Rebels battled back and retook the lead, 22-21, on a three-pointer from Moore.
Ole Miss used a 13-3 run over the last 3:55 of the half to extend its lead to 35-24 at the half.
Moore (11 points, three steals and two assists) and McFarland (10 points, two steals) led the Rebels at the break. As a team, the Rebels shot 54.2 percent from the floor in the half (13-24) while the Lady Demons shot 50.0 percent (10-20).
In the second half, a three-point play from Monique Jackson pushed Ole Miss' lead to 18, 44-26, with 15:11 remaining in the game. The Lady Demons cut the Rebels' lead to 11, 44-33, with 12:34 to play but Ole Miss pushed its lead back up to 16, 53-37, after a basket from Gracie Frizzell.
For the game, Ole Miss shot 52.2 percent from the floor (24-46) and 71.4 percent from the free throw line (15-21).
Ole Miss will host Lamar on Monday at 7 p.m. As part of the Kroger Fighting Hunger Food Drive, fans that bring 2 cans or donate $5 for the Million Meals Challenge will receive complimentary admission.
Mississippi State Edges Past Louisiana Tech
STARKVILLE, Miss. -Mississippi State found its toughness at the right time Friday night.
Sophomore Kendra Grant scored 20 points, two shy of her career high, and senior Darriel Gaynor added 11 as the Bulldogs rallied from down 12 points in the second half to post a 57-55 victory over Louisiana Tech Friday night at the Humphrey Coliseum.
"When it comes down to the end of game, we have to have our toughness," Grant, who scored 14 of her points in the second half, said. "We knew that toughness and rebounding were going to be the keys if we were to come back."
MSU coach Vic Schaefer was not pleased with his team's toughness in Monday night's 56-48 loss against Hampton, but the Bulldogs' new mentor thought a 180-degree turnaround by his squad in that department proved a key to the victory.
"It is going to be tough for us to score some nights," Schaefer said. "That is why toughness is so important. I am really proud of my kids. We really out-toughed them in the second half. When we played tougher, we got to the basket more. We drew fouls and took advantage of our chances."
Gaynor hit the game-winning shot on a baseline jumper with 52 seconds left in regulation. The Bulldogs then got the critical stop on the defensive end as Kelia Shelton committed a charging foul.
MSU was unable to score on its final possession but Louisiana Tech could not either. Brittany Lewis missed a heavily-contested 3-point shot as time expired for the Lady Techsters.
"We really picked up the defensive intensity in the second half," Gaynor said. "Our goal is to stop, score, stop. We didn't play as hard as we needed to on the defensive end in the first half. We picked up the pace and that allowed us to get back into the game."
The Maroon and White only had two first-half leads. Louisiana Tech scored seven-straight points to build an early 10-5 lead. A 3-pointer by Gaynor brought MSU within 17-16 with 7:04 left in the half, but Louisiana Tech responded with the game's next six points.
The Lady Techsters shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and led 33-23 at halftime.
"We challenged our kids to take the ball to the goal more in the second half," Schaefer said. "I thought we were the more aggressive team in the second half. I thought we did a better job of taking better shots. We rode Kendra (Grant). We told her before the game we were going to ride her."
The Bulldogs fell down 12 points at 37-25 before beginning their rally. A big reason for the comeback was a 45.2-percent field-goal percentage over the final 20 minutes. It was the best half shooting the basketball by a Bulldog squad since last season's team shot 53.1-percent in the second half to knock off Auburn.
A jumper by Katia May brought the Maroon and White within 38-33 with 13:59 left in the contest.
MSU still trailed 46-40 before taking its first second-half lead with eight straight points. A layup by Grant pushed the Maroon and White on top 48-46 with 7:33 left.
Things stayed nip-and-tuck, with the Bulldogs finally pushing to a two-point lead again at 55-53 when Martha Alwal scored and drew a foul with 1:47 left. Schaefer called that score "the biggest basket in the game" despite Alwal not completing the 3-point play.
Lewis tied the contest for Louisiana Tech with a basket at the 1:24 mark, paving the way for Gaynor's go-ahead shot on the other end of the floor.
For the contest, the Bulldogs hit 22 of 61 shots from the field (36.1 percent), 3 of 8 shots from 3-point range (37.5 percent) and 10 of 17 shots from the foul line (58.8 percent). The Lady Techsters hit 20 of 47 shots from the field (42.6 percent), 1 of 5 shots from 3-point range (20.0 percent) and 14 of 22 shots from the foul line (63.6 percent).
Louisiana Tech held a 44-33 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs had 11 assists and a season-low 13 turnovers, while the Lady Techsters had 13 assists and 23 turnovers. MSU forced its opponents into 20 or more turnovers for the second-straight game.
Gaynor added 11 points, five rebounds and four steals for MSU.
Louisiana Tech received a double-double from Lewis (20 points, 10 rebounds) and 14 points from Kelia Shelton.
MSU hits the road for the first time this season with a trip to Hardwood Tournament of Hope at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Bulldogs open action against Winthrop at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
MSU returns home for a 7 p.m. start against Savannah State on Nov. 28.
LSU Falls On the Road to Hampton
HAMPTON, Va. - Keiara Avant scored a game-high 19 points and Hampton won its second straight game over a Southeastern Conference opponent as the LSU women's basketball team fell by a score of 67-58 on Friday night in Hampton University Convocation Center.
The Lady Tigers (1-1) saw a streak of eight consecutive non-conference regular season wins come to an end. LSU also fell to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team for the first time after previously being 6-0.
Hampton (3-0), the defending MEAC champions, beat an SEC opponent for the second time in five days. The Pirates knocked off Mississippi State, 56-48, in Starkville on Monday. Riding the momentum of that victory, Hampton used suffocating defense on LSU's guards, forcing 22 turnovers that led to 21 points.
"We have to have players match their intensity," said LSU head coach Nikki Caldwell. "They came up with some critical offensive and defensive boards. We have to make sure to box out and give teams only one look. Give credit to them. When you have a player like (Keiara) Avant, you have to have someone match her intensity."
Theresa Plaisance led the Lady Tigers with a career-high 18 points and 11 rebounds. It was the first double-double of her career. Freshman Danielle Ballard added 13 points, while Bianca Lutley reached double-figures for the second straight game with 13 points.
LSU shot just 5-of-21 for 23.8 percent in the first half. After trailing 6-2 three minutes into the game, Hampton put together a 19-0 run and took complete control. Over the next five minutes, the Lady Tigers went scoreless from the floor and committed a series of turnovers. Nicole Hamilton's three at the 11:02 mark put the Pirates up 21-6.
Trailing 35-18 at the half, LSU fell behind as many as 21 points in the second half. Plaisance scored six in a row and the Lady Tigers came within 15 points at the final official timeout. The Pirates iced the game at the line. Avant scored nine of her game-high 19 from the stripe, and Hampton finished 19-of-24 as a team.
LSU out-scored the Pirates, 40-32 in the second half and out-rebounded Hampton for the game, 42-41.
The Lady Tigers continue their four-game road swing at Georgetown at 6 p.m. CT Monday. LSU heads to Washington D.C. on Saturday morning and will tour The White House. Monday's game will be carried on the LSU Sports Radio Network on 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge and to members of the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net/live.