The NCAA Tournament may be over but there was another tournament for fans of Georgia Tech and MS State women basketball in March- the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). These two teams clashed in the first round and the game was a classic case of day light between the two sides. It will be useful to focus on this game and the course of events that occurred in it.
Matchup Information
Date: Thursday, 21 March 2024
Time: TBA ET (The game has already been played).
Location: Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville in Mississippi
Result: Mississippi State Bulldogs: 84 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: 47
Pre-Game Buzz
Mississippi State came into the tournament as the second seed overall with a solid record in the regular season and an offense capable of putting up a lot of points. Before the WBIT, their previous game was against Texas A&M which they lost but they remained the favourite team. As for the second team, Georgia Tech arrived the tournament as the number 7 seed after a narrow lost to Duke.
Here’s a quick look at how both teams fared leading up to the matchup:
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Record: 21-11
Last Game: Loss to Texas A&M (72-56)
Strengths: High scoring offense, including averaged 75. 3 points per game.
Weaknesses: Defense wasnot very good at some point (They conceded 65. 7 points per game).
Key Player: Jessika Carter (Leading scorer in the last game with 12 points)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Record: Other (not stated in the record as available in the given information)
Last Game: Loss to Duke (70-58)
Strengths: Good defense, conceding 66. 4 points per game
Weaknesses: Poor offence (scored an average of 68. 3 points per game).
Key Player: Tonie Morgan (Top scorer in the previous game with 19 point)
Game Recap
In the first half of the game the score was a really tight match. On the other hand, the defence of Georgia Tech stood their ground and did not allow the potent attack of the Mississippi State to dominate. But by half time the bulldogs proved more efficient, pulling a slight lead out of the deal.
However, the second half was not the same and much worse. In the first quarter, the Mississippi State started aggressively, further increasing their lead in the following plays due to massive attack next. On the offence front, Georgia Tech could not match up to the efficiency of the opponents and ended up on the wrong side of the score line.
FAQs
Q: What role did Jackson’s cousin play within the company?
A: The WBIT pairings were mainly determined by the seedings, and since Mississippi State had established itself as the higher seed for both of them it progressed to the first round of the WBIT with the corresponding home court advantage.
Q: What analysis can be done regarding Georgia Tech’s defense effort in the game?
A: While the team did quite well in the first half, especially when it came to defence, they lacked the drive to continue this in the second half of the game.
Q: The specific shift or moment that changed the game is what it is?
A: The final, with Mississippi State scoring relatively freely beyond the half, proved the turning point as the team gradually extended the margin to claim the victory.
Conclusion
This position was evident when the WBIT first-round match up between Mississippi State and Georgia Tech which both displayed different playing formation strategies. Georgia Tech put up a great effort in the first half to try to limit Mississippi State on the defensive end, but they could not withstand the offense that the Bulldogs brought into the game. It is like a practice game where both teams can learn a lot since the season is over as they prepare for the next season.
