DieBruderschaft.com

BANGOR, Maine -- Mississippi States Victoria Vivians and Morgan William werent particularly effective in the season opener on Friday, so coach Vic Schaefer decided they should watch most of it from the bench.One night later, the Bulldogs two star guards werent going to be bystanders.Vivians poured in 26 points to lead No. 10 Mississippi State over Maine 87-43 on Saturday in the championship game of the Maine Tipoff Tournament. William added nine assists and five steals in a dominant effort on both ends of the floor.I knew two things were going to happen tonight -- I knew Morgan William and Victoria Vivians were going to play well, Schaefer said.Vivians, who led the Bulldogs in scoring last season, had a big game one night after being held to just four points. The 6-foot-1 junior made 9 of 19 shots from the field (47.4 percent), including four 3-pointers, and also added three steals.Just coming out fresh and knowing that we were playing a good team, it had me energized and ready to go, Vivians said.Mississippi State (2-0) routed its second straight opponent after beating Villanova 108-62 in the season opener. The Bulldogs jumped out a 15-0 lead in the first four minutes and cruised to a 46-23 halftime advantage.Maine (1-1) was led by Naira Carceres and Laia Sole, who both scored eight points. The Black Bears were hurt by 26 turnovers.Thats what we do, Schaefer said. We try to make you uncomfortable. And tonight I thought we did a really good job of that.RARE HOME LOSSMaine had its 20-game home winning streak snapped. The Black Bears won 26 games last season, but lost eight seniors to graduation and are now in the midst of a rebuild.BIG PICTUREMississippi State: Vivians big game was a good sign for the Bulldogs, who will need her scoring throughout the season. She led the team in scoring last year with 17.1 points per game. Mississippi State would like to be a little more balanced this season, but theres no doubt Vivians will be asked to carry a large portion of the offensive burden.Maine: It was a tough night for the Black Bears, who fell into the early hole and could never recover. Maine still had a decent weekend, beating Purdue by 20 points in the tournaments opening game.UP NEXTMississ