The 2019 SEC Tournament Champions are none other than our beloved Mississippi State Bulldogs. The women's basketball team showed up and showed out in the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina. The tournament took place on March 6-10, 2019 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Since the Bulldogs were the No. 1 seed in the SEC, their first appearance in the tournament was not until March 8 at 12 p.m for the quarterfinal round of games. MSU played in their matchup against the Tennessee Lady Vols, and the Bulldogs took the win with a score of 83-68. With this win, Teaira McCowan, Zion Campbell, and Jazzmun Holmes became the winningest senior class in MSU's history with a total of 127 wins from their time at MSU. Prior to this first game for the Bulldogs, the regular season SEC Championship trophy was presented to the team.
Having beaten Tennessee, the Bulldogs' next game would be on the following day at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs were paired with the Missouri Tigers - the only SEC team to beat them in the regular season. This did not scare our Bulldogs, and they still won with a final score of 71-56. Teaira McCowan led this game with 27 points and 16 rebounds.
The win against Missouri took our Bulldogs into the final championship game to face the No. 10 seed Arkansas. Having confidence in their abilities, the Bulldogs came onto the court to play their hearts out in hopes of winning the first-ever SEC Championship for their program. The Bulldogs had three players to finish the game with 20 points or more. Teaira McCowan and Andra Espinoza-Hunter scored 24 points, and Bre'Amber Scott scored 20 points. The Bulldogs played their hardest against the Arkansas Razorbacks and even broke 100 points to become the 2019 SEC Champions with a final score of 101-70.
Amidst the confetti in the post-game celebration, numerous trophies were awarded to both the players and the team. Three Mississippi State players received SEC All-Tournament Team trophies. Teaira McCowan also received the SEC Tournament MVP trophy. T-shirts and hats were also given to the players and coaches that read "Mississippi State - 2019 SEC Champions."
Following the trophy presentation, each team member and coach climbed the ladder to cut the net. The celebration ended as Vic Schaefer climbed the ladder to cut the net and placed it around his neck. Schaefer then rang a cowbell, and the crowd went wild.
With this win, the MSU Bulldogs increased their overall record to 30-2. The Bulldogs now await their NCAA placement, which will be available on March 18.
Follow the team's journey on their website.
