STARKVILLE — The statement isn’t as strong when it comes with a loss attached, but there was a statement nonetheless. A Mississippi State women’s basketball team with seven players, playing its third game in five days, would’ve been excused for folding Thursday night when No. 12 LSU arrived at the Humphrey Coliseum.

There were hints of such an outing in the first quarter, even, as players wore down and interim coach Doug Novak called a timeout to ease their burning lungs.

But until five minutes remained, the Bulldogs (15-9, 6-7 SEC) were in the game — tied heading into the final media timeout. Then it unraveled, much like the final quarter Tuesday against Kentucky, the tanks finally hitting empty with no refills or reprieves in sight.

Still, Mississippi State proved the mettle it often has this season, fighting through dire circumstances to create an evenly-contested game anyway. LSU pulled away at last, using a 15-point run in the final five minutes to ice a 71-59 victory.

"Before we start complaining or whining about what happened to us, we have to make sure we're giving credit to a really good team, a really well-coached team," Novak said.

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The Tigers (22-4, 10-3 SEC) had to earn it, though. And for that conviction, the Humphrey Coliseum crowd rose to its feet regardless of the final score, appreciating effort when idleness would’ve been the easier option.

"Fatigue for sure," said guard Anastasia Hayes, who scored a team-high 17 points. "We've been battling hard, we've been practicing. We've had a lot of games back to back. It's just seven of us. I would say fatigue, for sure."

Across the first 20 games of Myah Taylor’s season, the Mississippi State guard attempted 68 3-pointers. She made just 10, good for 14.7% clip.

As the Bulldogs use more of a small-ball lineup since the transfer of forward Rickea Jackson, the long-distance efforts have become more vital to Novak’s squad. And Taylor, most of all, has seen more attempts turn into more production.

In Taylor’s last five games, she has knocked down nine of the 14 3-pointers she attempted, with three makes Thursday. Those points, part of her 11, were a major catalyst for Mississippi State’s close game.

Novak said Taylor rushed her shot at times earlier in the year, eager to prove she was better than the numbers showed. Now, her shot selection has improved — and so has her shooting.

"She has found her rhythm, and she has worked on it every day," Novak said. "She has taken the right ones at the right time, and she has hit some big ones."

This time, the fatigue was plain to see from the first quarter.

It had taken longer on Tuesday against Kentucky, but when it came, it came all at once — allowing the Wildcats a 24-2 run. On Thursday, however, as Mississippi State played its third game in five games, there came JerKaila Jordan’s glance to the bench with two minutes remaining in the opening period.

Novak understood the subtle glance. He called a timeout, giving his seven players a breather before that shorthanded crew ran out again. The Tigers were in the midst of what became an 11-0 run, turning their two-point deficit into a nine-point advantage.

"We were kind of tired, running up and down the floor," Hayes said. "(Novak) was just telling us to stay in it, we're doing well. Telling us to execute. And that kind of brought us back up and pulled us back in." 

The Bulldogs settled and played LSU tightly. Still, much like the last game, the wheels eventually came off.

The Humphrey Coliseum crowd got especially loud whenever forward Charlotte Kohl made a contribution. A role player for most of her time in Starkville, she's been thrust into a starting spot, the lone player above six feet.

Kohl scored a career-high eight points to go along with 11 rebounds, six of which were on the offensive glass.

"Very proud of Charlie," Hayes said. "She stepped up big tonight. I'm still proud of my team, I'm not doubting us. Onto the next, you know."