Niceville, Fla. – Mississippi State (5-1) defeated Alcorn State (1-4) 65-51 to advance to the Bay Bracket Championship against Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday.
Madison Francis finished with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Francis has tallied 10 or more points in five of six contests to open the season. Kharyssa Richardson joined the talented freshman in double figures and notched 10 points. Destiney McPhaul and Jaylah Lampley chipped in nine points apiece, while Trayanna Crisp and Chandler Prater added eight each.
Mississippi State jumped out to an early 29-4 lead with stifling defense. The Bulldogs forced 17 turnovers, and limited Alcorn State to 15.4% shooting in the opening 20 minutes as the Bulldogs commanded a 34-14 advantage at the break.
Francis stuffed the stat sheet for the Bulldogs in the first half, scoring nine points while adding three steals, two assists and two rebounds. McPhaul each tallied six points and Lampley posted five to pace Mississippi State early.
“I credit Madison (Francis) playing the point of the press,” said head coach Sam Purcell. “She was everywhere, she was getting deflections, steals and just helping everyone else. Her energy is phenomenal. When her and Lampley bring the kind of energy that they did today, you have a chance night in and night out.”
Alcorn State battled back in the second half. The Lady Braves outscored Mississippi State by seven in the final frame. Maya Claytor led Alcorn State with 12 points and five rebounds. Nakia Cheathman added 11 points and five rebounds. Kiarra Henderson chipped in 11 points, four rebounds and four assists.
The Bulldogs posted a 22-12 record last season and advanced to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Purcell has guided MSU to 20 or more wins in three of the four seasons while at the helm. With today’s 14-point win at Raider Arena, the Bulldogs have won ten straight non-conference matchups at neutral sites.
Mississippi State takes on Middle Tennessee State in the Bay Bracket Championship Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at Raider Arena
“I know we are at the beach, and we are here in paradise, but we have Middle Tennessee State tomorrow,” added Purcell. “That’s a team that’s known for knocking off power 4 teams. They are known for games like this. They brought a crowd today. We better bring it tomorrow. We have to be prepared for the chaos that they bring defensively and execute.”
Alcorn State will square off against Providence in the Third Place Game of the Bay Bracket at 11:00 a.m.
