Kentucky Wildcats at Mississippi State Bulldogs
· SEC WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT - QUARTERFINAL
76 - 67
Epps' 31 points leads Kentucky over Mississippi State 76-67
Epps was 12 of 21 from the field as the No. 12 Wildcats (22-8) used a 24-4 run to come back after being down 54-39 in the second half.
Sixth-seeded Kentucky, which will face No. 5 and second-seeded Tennessee on Saturday, has reached the tournament semifinals in six straight seasons.
Jennifer O'Neil added 18 points for the Wildcats, who finished 25 of 51 (49 percent) from the field and improved to 2-0 this season against the Bulldogs.
"I was real proud of our team," Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell said. "We got back to our full-court press and really started pressuring, and it really changed the game."
Victoria Vivians led third-seeded Mississippi State (26-6) with 19 points, while Martha Alwal added 17 and Breanna Richardson 12. The Bulldogs were trying to reach the tournament semifinals for the first time in five years.
Epps had a career-high 42 points in a double-overtime win over Mississippi State on Feb. 12, and she added to her offensive mastery of the Bulldogs. The sophomore had 16 points in the first half, and her 31 points were her second-highest total of the season.
After Vivians put Mississippi State up 54-39 with a steal and fast-break layup early in the second half, the Wildcats answered with a 24-4 run to go up 63-58. Epps had 11 straight Kentucky points at one point during the run, including a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats up 61-58.
Kentucky finished 12 of 23 (52.2 percent) from the field in the second half, while the Bulldogs were 22 of 60 (36.7 percent) from the field overall and 7 of 27 in the second half.
"I thought they took us out of a lot of things because of how hard they played defensively," Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said. "And then, obviously, we had a hard time guarding Epps. She probably wants to see me in a best out of seven (series), I'm sure."
TIP-INS
Mississippi State: Vivians missed more than three minutes of action in the second half after her right thumbnail was ripped off during play. She returned with a bandage on her thumb, but Kentucky had already surged ahead by then.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats face Tennessee on Friday.
Mississippi State now waits to hear its place in the NCAA Tournament.
How can I watch Wildcats vs. Bulldogs?
- TV Channel: Wildcats vs Bulldogs 2021 College Basketball, week 17, is broadcasted on SEC Network.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Recent Plays
| 2nd 0:00 |  |
End of Game | 76 - 67 |
| 2nd 0:10 |  |
Jennifer O'Neill Defensive Rebound. | 76 - 67 |
| 2nd 0:10 |  |
Victoria Vivians missed Three Point Jumper. | 76 - 67 |
| 2nd 0:20 | |
Mississippi St Defensive Rebound. | 76 - 67 |
| 2nd 0:20 | |
Bria Goss missed Three Point Jumper. | 76 - 67 |
Statistics
 UK |
MSST |
|
|---|---|---|
| 25-51 | FG | 22-60 |
| 49 | Field Goal % | 37 |
| 5-13 | 3PT | 7-24 |
| 38 | Three Point % | 29 |
| 21-27 | FT | 16-24 |
| 78 | Free Throw % | 67 |
| 38 | Rebounds | 33 |
| 7 | Offensive Rebounds | 10 |
| 31 | Defensive Rebounds | 23 |
| 7 | Assists | 12 |
| 6 | Steals | 7 |
| 3 | Blocks | 2 |
| 16 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 16 | Total Turnovers | 12 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 12 | Points Off Turnovers | 15 |
| 4 | Fast Break Points | 4 |
| 35 | Points in Paint | 20 |
| 21 | Fouls | 22 |
Game Information
Location: North Little Rock, AR
Attendance: 4,189 | Capacity:
2025-26 Southeastern Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 15-1 | - | 36-4 |
| Texas | 13-3 | 2 | 35-4 |
| Vanderbilt | 13-3 | 2 | 29-5 |
| LSU | 12-4 | 3 | 29-6 |
| Oklahoma | 11-5 | 4 | 26-8 |
| Kentucky | 8-8 | 7 | 25-11 |
| Georgia | 8-8 | 7 | 22-10 |
| Ole Miss | 8-8 | 7 | 24-12 |
| Tennessee | 8-8 | 7 | 16-14 |
| Alabama | 7-9 | 8 | 24-11 |
| Texas A&M | 7-9 | 8 | 14-13 |
| Mississippi State | 5-11 | 10 | 18-13 |
| Florida | 5-11 | 10 | 18-15 |
| Missouri | 4-12 | 11 | 17-17 |
| Auburn | 3-13 | 12 | 15-17 |
| Arkansas | 1-15 | 14 | 12-20 |