STARKVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — Mississippi State used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away from Kentucky for a 71-59 women’s basketball victory Sunday at Humphrey Coliseum. The Lady Bulldogs, led by Kharyssa Richardson’s game-high 23 points, outscored the Wildcats 23-15 in the final period to secure the Southeastern Conference win. Kentucky had trimmed a deficit to five points late in the third quarter but could not complete the comeback. Favour Nwaedozi added 10 points and a formidable 21 rebounds for Mississippi State (15-5). Trayanna Crisp contributed 16 points. Tonie Morgan led Kentucky (17-3) with 15 points and seven assists. Clara Strack scored 10 points and blocked five shots. The Wildcats’ three-game win streak was snapped before an announced crowd of 4,612.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — Fueled by a dominant fourth-quarter surge and a career-defining performance from Favour Nwaedozi, the Mississippi State women’s basketball team snapped a three-game Southeastern Conference skid with a 71-59 victory over Kentucky on Sunday at Humphrey Coliseum. The Lady Bulldogs, who entered the contest having lost their first three league games, outscored the Wildcats 23-15 in the final period to pull away before a crowd of 4,612. The win improved Mississippi State to 15-5 overall and 1-3 in the SEC, while Kentucky, which had won its last two conference games, fell to 17-3 and 2-2. The most critical juncture of the game arrived early in the fourth quarter. Kentucky’s Clara Strack hit a free throw to cut the Mississippi State lead to 50-49 with 9:09 remaining. From there, the Lady Bulldogs unleashed a decisive 12-2 run over the next two minutes, transforming a one-point nail-biter into a double-digit advantage. The burst was ignited by guard Trayanna Crisp, who drilled a 3-pointer off a Destiney McPhaul assist. After a Kentucky miss, Kharyssa Richardson connected on a jumper. Following a layup from Kentucky’s Tonie Morgan, Richardson struck again from beyond the arc, assisted once more by McPhaul. On the ensuing Kentucky possession, Madison Francis blocked a Jordan Obi shot, leading to a fast break where Crisp buried another 3-pointer, this one giving Mississippi State a 59-51 lead and forcing a Wildcats timeout with 7:24 to play. Kentucky never recovered from that explosive sequence, unable to get the deficit below six points the rest of the way. The Wildcats struggled offensively throughout, particularly in the second half where they managed only 26 points on a combination of stifling Mississippi State defense and missed opportunities. The foundation for Mississippi State’s victory was built on the glass, specifically through the historic effort of sophomore forward Favour Nwaedozi. The 6-foot-3 native of Delta, Nigeria, recorded a monstrous double-double with 10 points and a program-record 21 rebounds. Her work on the boards, including seven offensive rebounds, helped the Lady Bulldogs to a 38-32 advantage in points in the paint and limited Kentucky’s second-chance opportunities. Nwaedozi’s effort was complemented by a game-high 23 points from Kharyssa Richardson. The 6-2 forward from Douglasville, Georgia, added seven rebounds and was instrumental in the fourth-quarter run. Trayanna Crisp of Goodyear, Arizona, provided a crucial scoring punch with 16 points, including four 3-pointers, while Chandler Prater added nine points and five rebounds off the bench. Kentucky was led by Tonie Morgan, who tallied 15 points and seven assists. Clara Strack, a 6-5 center from Buffalo, New York, posted a double-double with 10 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots. Jordan Obi added 12 points and seven rebounds, and Amelia Hassett scored 11. The Wildcats’ offense, however, was plagued by cold shooting stretches and 15 turnovers, which Mississippi State converted into only six points, a testament to Kentucky’s own defensive effort. The game was a defensive struggle for three quarters. Mississippi State led 18-13 after one, but Kentucky used a 20-point second quarter to take a 33-30 lead into halftime. The Lady Bulldogs responded by winning the third quarter 18-11 to carry a 48-44 edge into the final period, setting the stage for their game-clinching run. Mississippi State’s win defied pregame projections, as Kentucky had been installed as a 7.5-point favorite and statistical models gave the Wildcats a 65.6 percent probability of victory. The combined score of 130 points fell well under the over/under line of 141.5. Kentucky looks to rebound on the road Thursday at Tennessee. Mississippi State travels to face Alabama next Sunday.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — A surging Kentucky women’s basketball team looks to continue its strong Southeastern Conference start when it visits a reeling Mississippi State squad on Sunday at Humphrey Coliseum. The Wildcats (17-2, 5-1 SEC) have won five of their last six, powered by the elite play of guard Tonie Morgan. The junior is averaging 19.1 points and 8.6 assists in conference play, coming off a 26-point, 13-assist performance in Thursday’s 94-89 win over Florida. Clara Strack added 21 points in that victory. Kentucky’s high-powered offense, which has scored 80 or more points nine times this season, will test a Mississippi State defense that has struggled in recent weeks. The Lady Bulldogs (14-5, 1-5) have lost four consecutive games, all by double digits, after opening SEC play with a win. Their defense has allowed an average of 91.8 points during the skid, including an 89-84 home loss to Vanderbilt on Thursday. Guard Saniyah King led State with 13 points in that contest, but consistent production has been an issue for a team adjusting to league play. Mississippi State’s non-conference schedule, which featured six wins by 30 or more points, did not prepare it for the current SEC gauntlet. Kentucky, meanwhile, has already secured key road wins at LSU and Alabama. The matchup pits Kentucky’s potent backcourt, led by Morgan, against a Mississippi State team desperate to protect its home floor and stop its slide. A Lady Bulldogs upset would require a significant defensive turnaround and more offensive consistency from players like King and Madison Francis, who scored 15 against Vanderbilt. Sunday’s contest is the only scheduled meeting between the teams this regular season. Kentucky leads the all-time series 37-28, but Mississippi State has won four of the last six meetings in Starkville. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. EST. Kentucky visits Tennessee next Thursday, while Mississippi State travels to Alabama next Sunday.