STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) – Tiffany Mitchell scored 21 points, including nine in a tight fourth quarter, and No. 2 South Carolina beat No. 10 Mississippi State 57-51 on Sunday.
South Carolina (19-0, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) led for almost the entire second half, but struggled to fight off Mississippi State in the final minutes. The Bulldogs cut South Carolina’s lead to 44-43 with 3:30 left, but Mitchell responded with five straight points to help push the Gamecocks to the road win.
Tina Roy added 11 points for the Gamecocks. Khadijah Sessions scored 10, including a crucial 15-foot jumper with 30 seconds left to give South Carolina a 53-49 lead.
Mississippi State (17-4, 4-3) has lost two straight games. The Bulldogs were playing in front of a program-record 10,626 fans, but couldn’t deliver the victory.
Victoria Vivians led Mississippi State with 19 points. Mississippi State shot just 16 of 59 (27.1 percent) from the field.
