Miss State
MARTIN, Tenn. (11/07/2026) — Mississippi State's women's basketball team delivered a dominant road performance Saturday evening, dismantling the UT Martin Skyhawks 114-68 at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center to open the 2026 season in emphatic fashion.
A Statement Performance from Wire to Wire
The Bulldogs never relinquished the lead, holding UT Martin scoreless through the opening moments before Reese Beaty knocked down a 17-foot pull-up jumper just 14 seconds into the contest. Mississippi State's shooting efficiency told the story of the night — 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc against UT Martin's 34 percent and 18 percent, respectively. The Bulldogs also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Skyhawks 55-34, while their 26 team assists against only 8 for UT Martin underscored how fluidly the offense operated.
Mississippi State led 21-15 after the first quarter despite UT Martin's Raven Sims draining a 25-foot three-pointer to keep the Skyhawks within striking distance. The game's complexion changed decisively in the second quarter, however, when the Bulldogs began to pull away for good.
How It Happened
The second quarter belonged to Cali Smallwood. In a remarkable sequence, she connected on three consecutive three-pointers — at the 8:45, 8:12, and 7:48 marks — two of them assisted by Beaty, extending the Mississippi State advantage to 30-17. The Skyhawks responded with back-to-back triples of their own from Lily Espelet and Maddie Penney to trim the deficit to 35-25, but Smallwood answered with a fourth three-pointer at the 4:38 mark to push the lead back to double digits at 40-29.
By halftime, Mississippi State led 55-39, with Macie Phifer's late second-quarter three-pointer — assisted by Beaty — punctuating a dominant half for the Bulldogs.
The third quarter erased any lingering doubt. Favour Nwaedozi opened the period with a layup off a Madison Francis assist, then turned provider herself on a Melissa Guillet three-pointer that pushed the margin to 67-45 at the 6:44 mark. Guillet connected again from 23 feet 90 seconds later for a 74-46 advantage. The Bulldogs' largest run of the game — a 12-0 surge that pushed the lead from 61-45 to 74-46 — effectively ended any competitive tension. Mississippi State carried an 84-49 lead into the fourth quarter.
Turning Point
Cali Smallwood's three-pointer barrage in the opening four minutes of the second quarter served as the game's decisive sequence. UT Martin had shown signs of life late in the first quarter, cutting into the deficit to trail just 21-15. Smallwood's three consecutive three-pointers in a 57-second span — pushing the margin from 21-17 to 30-17 — foreclosed any realistic path back for the Skyhawks. When the Bulldogs connected on three more from deep before halftime, what had been a competitive game became a rout.
Star of the Game
Favour Nwaedozi controlled both ends of the floor and finished with a double-double: 21 points and 14 rebounds. Her combination of interior scoring and rebounding gave Mississippi State an edge UT Martin simply could not match. Nwaedozi's presence opened the floor for her teammates and anchored a Bulldogs front line that dominated the paint throughout.
Beaty was equally indispensable as the team's engine, recording her own double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. She served as the primary architect behind Smallwood's big second quarter, assisting on three of her four three-pointers. Smallwood finished with 17 points on her own, while Tootie Lockett added 15. UT Martin's Raven Sims led the Skyhawks with 16 points and six rebounds, and Olivia Smith contributed 13 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
What It Means
For Mississippi State, the victory was a comprehensive display of depth and offensive versatility. Four Bulldogs reached double figures, the team shot at an elite clip from every area of the floor, and their rebounding margin was overwhelming. That kind of balance is an encouraging early-season sign heading into SEC competition.
UT Martin fell to 0-1 on the young season after absorbing a physically difficult matchup in front of 1,371 fans at the Elam Center. The Skyhawks shot below 20 percent from three-point range and struggled to generate consistent offense against Mississippi State's defense, though Sims and Smith showed they can produce at the mid-major level.
