STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA/MSU Athletics) – After recording a pair of double-doubles and helping No. 6 Mississippi State to a 2-0 start, senior center Teaira McCowan received the first SEC Player of the Week honor of 2018-19 on Tuesday.
McCowan notched her fifth player of the week accolade, the most among current SEC players. She tallied four last season.
The Brenham, Texas, native averaged 18.0 points, 14.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 57.1 percent (12-of-21) from the field and 70.6 percent (12-of-17) from the free-throw line in a home victory against Southeast Missouri and a road win at Virginia.
McCowan recorded her seventh- and eighth-straight double-doubles of the year, giving her 41, the most among active league players, for her career.
She opened her senior season by notching her ninth-career game with 20 points and 15 rebounds, scoring 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go with 17 boards against Southeast Missouri. McCowan also blocked a career-best seven shots in the game, a total that ties for the most in an NCAA Division I game this season.
McCowan added four more blocks in the Bulldogs’ road win at Virginia, and she made 5-of-10 shots from the floor to finish with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Her 11 blocked shots through the opening two games tops the nation in the category.
McCowan and the rest of Vic Schaefer’s Bulldogs return to action Thursday as they host Lamar at 7 p.m. to open a four-game homestand. MSU raises the 2018 National Finalist banner Sunday at 2 p.m. against Coppin State.
The Bulldogs wrap the homestand with a pair of 2 p.m. contests against Furman (Nov. 21) and Jackson State (Nov. 24).
