The 11th-ranked OU women’s basketball team looks to keep their road success going when it takes on Mississippi State at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi.
The game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
The Sooners (13-2, 1-1 SEC) are coming off an 87-86 win at Tennessee on Sunday, where they led big late before holding off a Lady Vols’ charge in the final minutes.
The Bulldogs (13-3, 0-2) have dropped their first two conference games by an average of 24.5 points, though both losses have come to tanked opponents including Sunday’s 95-68 loss to No. 2 South Carolina.
Here’s what you need to know about Thursday’s matchup:
More: Oklahoma women’s basketball NCAA Tournament resume for March Madness: Jan. 6
Sooners thriving on the road
OU is 4-0 in true road environments this season, with wins at Wichita State, UNLV, Louisville and Tennessee.
The Sooners are 29-11 on the road during the Jennie Baranczyk era.
Bulldogs’ defense presents challenge
Mississippi State is No. 10 nationally in field-goal percentage defense, holding opponents to just 34.6% from the field.
The Bulldogs are the highest-rated team in the category the Sooners have faced this season.
The Sooners are 12th nationally in field-goal percentage at 48.54%.
Raegan Beers, OU’s 6-foot-4 center, is shooting 69.1% from the floor, third nationally.
Mississippi State’s starters include 6-foot-6 Madina Okot, who leads the Bulldogs in rebounding with 8.6 per game.
More: SEC Women’s Basketball Power Rankings: Texas A&M on the rise after Ole Miss upset
OU-Mississippi State series history
The Sooners will face plenty of new faces this season in their inaugural turn through the SEC.
OU has met Mississippi State just twice before — a 88-73 win in November 2007 in Cancun, Mexico, and a 94-63 win on Dec. 4, 2021 in Baranczyk’s eighth game as the Sooners’ head coach.
Thursday’s game will be OU’s first in Starkville and just the program’s third all-time in the state of Mississippi.
How to watch OU-Mississippi State women
The Sooners and Bulldogs will be streamed on SEC Network Plus at 6:30 p.m. Thursday from Humphrey Coliseum.
Streaming options for the game include Fubo (free trial).
Score prediction for OU-Mississippi State women
OU 88, Mississippi State 68: Skylar Vann figures to have a bounce-back game after being shut out for the first time since early in her career in Sunday’s win over Tennessee. While the Bulldogs have some size inside, Raegan Beers and Vann figure to be able to find ways to score at the basket and the Sooners’ up-tempo offense lets the Sooners pull away late.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
More: OU women’s basketball schedule: Dates, times, TV channels for 2024-25 season
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU basketball vs Mississippi State score prediction, injury update
