Starkville - Mississippi State took the floor in a newly renovated Humphrey Coliseum on Monday night, and Sam Purcell's Bulldogs put on a show for the 4,452 fans in attendance.

The Bulldogs defeated Alcorn State 77-42 to open the 2023-24 campaign, and the dominant performance features double-doubles from JerKaila Jordan, Jessika Carter and Erynn Barnum.

Jordan led the way with 26 points, 13 rebounds and six steals while Barnum and Carter controlled the paint. Barnum an Arkansas transfer and All-SEC performer, scored nine of her 13 points in the first quarter and tallied 11 rebounds while Carter scored ten points with 13 boards and four blocks.

The veteran trio epitomized the "yabba dabba" mentality that Purcell has instilled in his team. He wants his team to keep the energy high, yelling "yabba dabba" every time they score.

"I told this team that they're nice kids. Buy you didn't come here to be nice, you came here to compete for championships, so you've got to create a behavior that's not currently within you," Purcell said. "Yabba dabba for us is post sprint runs that you believe inside that you're going to beat the opponent down the floor. If we score, we start screaming yabba dabba. Shot goes up, if we go after and get a putback, we scream yabba dabba."

The rebounding was a key component to the Bulldogs' convincing win. They outrebounded the Braves 70-34, which helped them overcome an underwhelming offensive performance with a 36.5% shooting percentage and 18 turnovers.

The inconsistent offense was a product of a few different factors. The Bulldogs made just 4/24 three point attempts, a shot that Purcell would like to see less of. Purcell took the blame for the turnovers. He wanted to all of his players in the game, which as of a result didn't allow them to find a rhythm.

"I told my team on the sideline, turn off the TV and quit watching the Golden State Warriors," Purcell said. "We were having 3-on-2s and we were flaring out for threes like we're Steph Curry. I said that they have to be watching that on TV because I don't teach that in any of my drills."

"I wanted a lot of kids to play and get a taste of opening night," Purcell said. "I could've caused some of that (the turnovers) by not letting them get a flow.

One of the bright spots of the Mississippi State offense was Seton Hall transfer Lauren Park-Lane, who's playing a bit of a different role after averaging over 20 points per game for the Pirates last season. The graduate point guard was in full command of the Bulldog offense. She scored four points and dished out seven assists, surpassing 700 for her career which is second among active players in women's college basketball.

"If our fans don't fall in love with her tonight I don't know what to tell you," Purcell said. "What I love about here is that she always talks about wanting to lead her team in assists. Who does that when they transfer with the stats that they have? A lot of kids in today's society want to come in and say 'I want my points,' but for her to say that and then actually lead us in assists gives me a lot of hope a big enjoyment for what's to come."

Mississippi State returns to action on Friday night, where they're set to host Southeast Louisiana at The Hump at 6:30 p.m.