McCowan leads No. 5 Mississippi State past No. 9 Oregon 90-79

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) – Teaira McCowan scored a career-high 35 points and had 19 rebounds to help No. 5 Mississippi State beat No. 9 Oregon 90-79 on Wednesday night.

The 6-foot-7 McCowan was nearly unstoppable, making 15 of 18 shots from the field. She scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds before halftime and continued to dominate during the second half, scoring after offensive rebounds and off well-timed passes.

She blocked five shots and 12 of her 19 rebounds were on the offensive end.

Mississippi State (10-0) also got a steallar performance from Victoria Vivians, who scored 30 points, including 26 in the second half. She shot 10 of 15 from the field, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range.

Oregon (8-2) was led by Ruthy Hebard, who scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Ducks lost despite shooting 55 percent from the field. Satou Sabally added 17 points.

BIG PICTURE

Oregon: The Ducks had some good moments on offense, but couldn’t keep pace with the Bulldogs. They had trouble matching up with McCowan, who made some contested shots but also feasted on wide-open looks.

Mississippi State: It was an impressive night for the Bulldogs – especially McCowan and Vivians. The Bulldogs aren’t quite as deep as they were last season when they made a run to the NCAA Tournament’s championship game, but their stars appear capable of carrying them in big games this season.

UP NEXT

Oregon hosts Ole Miss on Sunday.

Mississippi State hosts Maine on Sunday.