Mississippi State was expected to be in this position before the season began back in November.
But MSU’s Sweet 16 opponent, N.C. State, not so much.
The Wolfpack were picked to finish 10th in the ACC, but now have 26 wins — the most in a single season since 1991 — and are in the round of 16 for the first time in 11 years after a 74-60 victory over Maryland.
The Bulldogs (34-1), the top seed in the Kansas City region, will have their hands full with a gritty N.C. State squad that has no quit in it. You can bet the fourth-seeded Wolfpack (26-8) won’t back down.
Look no farther than earlier in the season to understand why, N.C. State trailed Louisville 26-1 but roared back to make a game of it.
“You feel like you’re out there in your underwear in front of 3,000 people,” Wolfpack coach Wes Moore said of the 26-1 deficit. “Next thing you know it’s a four-point game with three minutes left, and we got the ball. We had a chance. That’s the way they are. They ignore the noise and keep coming.”
As far as MSU is concerned, it needs to avoid the slow start that hampered it Monday against No. 9 seed Oklahoma State, which scored 14 straight points in the first quarter for an eight-point lead — leaving many to wonder. Would MSU become the first top seed since 2009 to lose in the second round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament?
But MSU’s stars wound up rising to the occasion, like they have done so many times in the last few years and found a way for the Bulldogs to win. Center Teaira McCowan (21 points, 18 rebounds) came alive in the third period with a series of rebounds and putbacks. Senior Morgan William (17 points) hit big shot after big shot. Senior guard Victoria Vivians (game-high 23 points) kept MSU in it in the first half.
Afterwards, the Bulldogs took a business-like approach to the win that sent them to their third straight Sweet 16 because it’s national championship or bust for this bunch.
From here, MSU will go as far as Vivians and McCowan take it.
Vivians passed Tan White to become the program’s second-highest scorer on Monday despite hitting only 4-of-13 shooting in the first half, Vivians still had 13 points in the first 20 minutes. She will need to be more efficient the rest of the way.
The talented All-American has no shot at catching LaToya Thomas (2,981) on the school’s all-time scoring list, but she does have a chance to do something much more important — lead State to back-to-back Final Fours.
McCowan recorded her 25th double-double of the season and the 35th for her career against Oklahoma State. She is now tied for second place in career double-doubles with the Bulldogs.
When McCowan is dominating inside and controlling the glass and Vivians is getting to the rim for layups, the Bulldogs are at their best. We’ll see Friday night if that duo can pull them past N.C. State and into the Elite 8.
• Contact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
