Good morning! This holiday season, the Diamond Dawgs are coming at you with the 12 days of homers! Get caught up with each day’s over-the-fencer as we lead up to the final day.

What else did we throw into today’s Bulldog Brew?

🏀 Two Bulldog basketball recaps
🥎 State softball got themselves a good one
🐶 And much, much more!

🎥 COURTSIDE CONVERSATIONS

Courtside Conversations with Jessika Carter. Join Jessica Carter courtside as she talks about her new blonde hair, the addition of Lauren Park-Lane and how her time in the weight room has helped her game.

🎥 BEYOND THE ARC

Beyond The Arc: Home Sweet Home. Travel back to high school with D.J. Jeffries and Cameron Matthews as they reminisce on the state championship they won together before reuniting at Mississippi State.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Mean Dawgs. The Bulldogs fell behind early in the first half but pulled away in the end to earn the 72-54 win over North Texas. State went on a 14-2 run late in the first half to go into halftime with a four-point lead, and the Bulldogs never looked back.

🗣️ "I just thought they kind of stayed the course defensively, and then obviously, as the game unfolded, our athleticism and our speed and our size got into the game." - Chris Jans

Redshirt sophomore KeShawn Murphy stepped up and had a career night as he finished with 18 points off the bench. Defensively, Cameron Matthews came up big with five steals on the night and added 12 rebounds and seven assists. Next up, the Bulldogs will head to New Jersey to take on Rutgers in the Gotham Classic on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.

🔼 Got A Good One. One of the top softball players in Mississippi is heading to Starkville as a member of the 2024 signing class. Hailing from Braxton, Mississippi, Abigail Stevens helped lead her team to its first state championship game in program history after earning District Player of the Year.

🗣️ "She has been one of the best players in the state of Mississippi the past few years, and we are excited to keep up her family tradition of wearing the maroon and white. She is a powerful hitter with an imposing presence on the mound, and she can contribute on both sides of the game.” - Samantha Ricketts

🔼 Another Won. The Bulldogs pounced on the Tigers and came away with a big 81-63 road win behind huge first and fourth-quarter performances. Jessika Carter recorded her third straight double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Jerkaila Jordan got to work with her fifth 20-plus point game of the season where she scored a team-high 21 points and added seven rebounds.

🎥 Watch Jerkaila Jordan’s interview following State’s win

Mississippi State will remain on the road to take on Colorado State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. for its final contest before the holiday break. 

🔼 Bulldog Legend. Mississippi State University mourns the loss of Bulldog legend Jim Ashmore, who passed away earlier this week at 88 years old. One of the greatest Bulldogs of all-time, Ashmore was a three-time All-SEC selection from 1954-57 and was the first player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.

📚️ Read more about the Bulldog legend and his legacy

🔼 Tack On Another. Bulldog football’s Bookie Watson’s list of accolades continues to grow! Watson was named to the 2023 ESPN All-America team following multiple All-America selections and an AP SEC Defensive Player of the Year award.

In his final season at State, Watson produced six double-digit tackle games while leading the team in tackles seven times. He recorded at least a half sack in eight of the last 10 games, the longest streak by a Bulldog since Montez Sweat did so in 2017.

📜 See the full list of accolades Bookie Watson has accumulated

🤔 BULLDOG TRIVIA

Lead Scorer. State men's basketball has a long history of players who could put the ball in the basket, but do you know who sits at the top of Bulldog men’s basketball’s career scoring list?

Think you know the answer? Scroll down to the bottom to find out!

📬 STICK WITH US

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🐶 DAWG DAILY

Today’s Dawg Daily: Dawg Daily: Sunday's Wins + Transfer Portal Update. Joey and Jalyn recap Sunday's 18-point victories by both men's and women's basketball. Plus, the transfer portal was on fire for the Bulldogs this weekend, and Joey and Jalyn round out the year with a little competition.

✅ Listen to today’s Dawg Daily on Spotify

🍎 Listen to today’s Dawg Daily on Apple Podcasts

📆 LOOKING AHEAD

Monday 12/18

No scheduled events

Tuesday 12/19

No scheduled events

🐶 Click here to see the full Mississippi State Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Jeff Malone!

The Bulldog’s all-time leading scorer played from 1980-83 finished with 2,142 points in his career.

🐶 Have a great Monday, y'all!