MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2018 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Harkins, Blackwell, Browning, Burton, Carmichael, Caughman, Clarke, Dearing, DeBar, Frazier, Jackson (32nd), Kirby, Massey, Parker, Watson
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING THE MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY "LADY BULLDOGS" WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM AND WBCA "COACH OF THE YEAR" COACH VIC SCHAEFER FOR ADVANCING TO ITS SECOND CONSECUTIVE NCAA TOURNAMENT "FINAL FOUR" APPEARANCE, AND RECOGNIZE TEAIRA MCCOWAN, VICTORIA VIVIANS AND MORGAN WILLIAM, AND ALL TEAM MEMBERS FOR A SPECIAL SEASON.
WHEREAS, we join the Mississippi State University "Lady Bulldogs" Women's Basketball Team and all of Bulldog Nation in celebrating another special record-breaking season; and
WHEREAS, the Mississippi State Women's Basketball Team scored a dramatic overtime victory over Louisville (73-63) on March 30, 2018, in the Final Four of the Women's NCAA Tournament. With the victory, the Lady Bulldogs advanced to the National Championship Game on Sunday, April 1, 2018, for the second straight year to face Notre Dame's Fighting Irish. However, the final shot stopped MSU's dream. Mississippi State will eventually win a National Championship, but it did not happen on Sunday. Notre Dame's Arike Ogunbowale hit a 3-pointer from the corner with a tenth of a second on the clock to give Notre Dame a 61-58 win over the Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament finale. The Fighting Irish (35-3) overcame a 15-point third-quarter deficit, the largest in the history of the Championship Game. The Bulldogs (37-2) finished runner-up for the second year in a row; and
WHEREAS, Mississippi State went to another Final Four after a spectacular 2017-2018 season that continued after defeating UCLA 89-73 on March 25, 2018, at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Mississippi State (36-1) built a 42-26 lead by halftime, and fought through the Bruins' second-half rally thanks to stellar performances by Victoria Vivians and Teaira McCowan. After the game, which looked to be on the verge of a rout at halftime only to get within a couple of possessions in the fourth quarter, the Mississippi State Women's Basketball Team did allow itself a few moments of celebration; and
WHEREAS, Victoria Vivians and Teaira McCowan shared the Regional Most Outstanding Player Award, which makes sense because the two worked hand-in-hand. McCowan shot 100% from the field at the First Regional and she had a double-double before halftime and finished with 23 points and 21 rebounds. Vivians had a game-high 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Roshunda Johnson and Morgan William shot UCLA out of a 2-3 zone, while together combining for 29 points; and
WHEREAS, Mississippi State Head Coach Vic Schaefer was named National Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association on March 30, 2018. Coaches around the country took notice of the coaching job Vic Schaefer has done this season at Mississippi State. After guiding the Bulldogs to a historic 2017-2018 season, the Bulldogs' sixth-year Head Coach was named United States Marine Corps WBCA/Division I National Coach of the Year. Three of his players, Teaira McCowan, Victoria Vivians and Morgan William, were named Region Finalists as well. Schaefer and the three standouts guided this season's Bulldog squad to the program's first Southeastern Conference Regular Season Championship, the first for any women's program at MSU. Mississippi State also advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year after claiming the school's first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament; and
WHEREAS, a banner senior season has earned Mississippi State Guard Victoria Vivians First-Team All-America honors from USA Today. Vivians was honored for the first time by the 32-member National Media Panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. The Carthage native became MSU's third First-Team All-American after scoring a career-best and MSU eight-most 646 points this season, a 19.6 scoring average that ranks third in the SEC. Vivians scored double figures in 32 of the Bulldogs' 33 games this season, including tallying 20 points 15 times and 30 points twice. During the historic campaign, Vivians became the third player in MSU history to pass 2,000-career points. With 2,400 points to her time in Starkville, she entered the NCAA Tournament 21 shy of tying Tan White for second at State. Vivians was one of five players named to the First Team. Mississippi State teammates Teaira McCowan and Victoria Vivians were both named to the AP All-SEC Team; McCowan and Vivians were unanimous First Team selections on the All-SEC Team; and
WHEREAS, after notching the first perfect home record in Humphrey Coliseum history (18-0), the Lady Bulldogs shattered the program attendance record (133,906). The 32-1 Bulldogs finished the regular season undefeated, the first SEC team to do so in 20 years. MSU's run of 32-straight wins ranked as the second-longest winning streak in SEC history. With its second-round win against Oklahoma State, this year's squad matched last season's National Finalist team for the most wins in school history with 34; and
WHEREAS, the Elite-8 Victory was an inevitable step in a special season. Look at the big picture, and it remains remarkable what this program once was and what it has become. The elite group in women's college basketball is hard to break through, but Mississippi State is on the verge of finding a way to do so; and
WHEREAS, the Mississippi State University 2017-2018 "Lady Bulldogs" Basketball NCAA Tournament Team Roster is: Blair Schaefer, G; Morgan William, G; Myah Taylor, G; Jazzmun Holmes, G; Roshunda Johnson, G; Jacaira Allen, G; Teaira McCowan, C; Nyah Tate, G; Jonika Garvin, G; Bre'Amber Scott, G; Jordan Danberry, G; Zion Campbell, C; Victoria Vivians, G; and Chloe Bibby, F; and Head Coach Vic Schaefer; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize the special accomplishments by these dedicated university athletes who have brought honor to their university, their community and to the State of Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby congratulate the Mississippi State University "Lady Bulldogs" Women's Basketball Team and Head Coach Vic Schaefer for advancing to its second consecutive NCAA Tournament "Final Four" appearance, and recognize Teaira McCowan, Victoria Vivians and Morgan William, and all team members for a special season.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Coach Vic Schaefer, forwarded to Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.