Why Doug Novak is grateful (in a way) Michigan beat Mississippi State women's basketball

STARKVILLE — In some ways, the limited number of bench options play in Doug Novak’s favor. The Mississippi State women’s basketball interim coach doesn’t need to worry as much about rotations, because he knows each of his available players will see the floor plenty.

But the lack of bodies causes issues in other ways — everything from durability in practice to stamina during games. In all of Novak’s time as a coach, he said he’s never experienced a bench this short. The Bulldogs have 10 players available due to injuries and transfers.

The limited options left Mississippi State (5-1) with just two bench points scored against No. 12 Michigan in Saturday’s loss. And when McNeese State (3-3) comes to Humphrey Coliseum on Wednesday (6 p.m., SEC Network+), the Bulldogs will face a similar problem.

DEPARTURE: KN'isha Godfrey enters transfer portal, leaves Mississippi State women's basketball

FIRST LOSS: Mississippi State women's basketball falls to No. 12 Michigan for Doug Novak's first loss as interim coach

For the first half against the Wolverines, Mississippi State kept the score close, entering the locker room trailing by three points. The game ballooned into a 64-48 loss down the stretch, partly because of fatigue. Of the nine players who were featured, six of them played 20 minutes or more — enough to take a toll.

“I have a hard time right now saying, ‘Thank you, Michigan, for that loss,’ ” Novak said Tuesday. “Nobody wants to lose. But we don’t want to make excuses, we don’t want to blame referees. That is who we are today. We’re not there yet.”

Novak said that loss allowed the Bulldogs to see where they need to improve. Mississippi State had more or less cruised through its first five wins before Michigan ended that run, proving that maintaining a high level of play for 40 minutes will be a challenge.

The Bulldogs are in this position for several reasons. Guards Alasia Hayes and Mia Moore remain sidelined through injury, and Novak didn’t provide a timeline for their returns. When asked for an update on forward Jessika Carter, who is taking time away from the program, Novak didn’t have one.

And since former coach Nikki McCray-Penson stepped down in September to focus on her health, two players have entered the transfer portal. Guard Jasmine Shavers has since announced her transfer to Texas Tech, while guard KN’isha Godfrey is searching for a school closer to her home in Florida.

Those departures make practice complicated. When Novak first became the interim head coach, he commented on how the team hadn’t yet gotten a group of male players to practice against in place. That group is more organized now, Novak said, improving what they can accomplish.

“The NCAA has rules how many practices you can have, but it’s more what you’re doing with in that time and how long you’re staying on the floor,” Novak said. “And then the next component is how much contact is involved. We’re probably not having as much contact as what you’d normally have.”

Those measures are in place to reduce the chance of further injuries slimming the available players even more. It’s the hand Mississippi State has been dealt.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Departures, injuries have slimmed Mississippi State women's basketball's depth