The Ole Miss women’s basketball team is riding high after their recent victory over Oklahoma. It happened Thursday night in the midst of the football team’s CFP semifinal match from the Fiesta Bowl.
So, there wasn’t a lot of frenzy in the media about the women’s victory. That’s OK, as Rebel fans can show their appreciation on Sunday when Ole Miss, ranked as high as No. 17 in recent polls, hosts rival Mississippi State at 5 p.m. CT in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion.
The Rebel enter with a record of 15-3 and 2-1 inside the SEC. Mississippi State brings in a mark of 14-3 and 1-2 in league play.
“As far as the rivalry, I think everyone understands how important it is,” said Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, “for Ole Miss to win, and how much Mississippi State wants to win…We’ll really lock in and focus on protecting home court. We are yet to lose at home, and we don’t want to do that, especially against Mississippi State.”
Ole Miss, under McPhee-McCuin, has won six of the last eight contests versus Mississippi State. As far as recent common opponents go, both teams played Oklahoma in Norman, with the Bulldogs suffering a 48-point, 95-47 loss, and the Rebels defeating the Sooners, 74-69, in their most recent contest.
Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Sam Purcell leads Mississippi State in his fourth season at the helm of the program. He’s guided the Bulldogs to an 81-38 overall record in his four years in Starkville, including a 14-3 (1-2 SEC) record entering Sunday’s game. He’s the only coach in MSU history to have three consecutive 20-win seasons to begin a tenure. Much of MSU’s success has been at home, where it is 11-1. The Bulldogs have only played in three true road matches, where they are 1-2. They are currently on a two-game losing streak, falling to Oklahoma and Tennessee in its last two times out.
Defense has been a mainstay of MSU’s game plan all season, particularly in the post. The Bulldogs rank fourth in the SEC and 14th nationally in blocks per game with 5.5, mostly off the back of freshman forward Madison Francis. She’s averaging a conference-best 3.06 per game, which places second nationally. Francis is also a capable scorer, averaging 13.6 points per game from several areas of the floor, including from beyond the arc.
Alongside Francis is Favour Nwaedozi, who also averages 13.6 points per game. Nwaedozi is highly efficient from the floor, shooting a .577 clip through 16 games this season. That mark is sixth-best in the SEC. She is also the team’s top rebounder, hauling in 10.2 per game. She’s had seven double-doubles so far this season.
Destiney McPhaul runs the point for MSU, and excels at taking care of the ball and finding open shooters. She boasts a 2.24 assist/turnover ratio while averaging 3.8 assists per game. She adds 12.3 points per game as well. The rest of the projected starting five, Trayanna Crisp and Chandler Prater, are averaging 8.9 and 10.1 points per game, respectively.
Jaylah Lampley has been an effective offensive option off the bench. The freshman is averaging 10.6 points per game, making her the fifth Bulldog north of a 10 points average for the season. Lampley, Francis and Nataliyah Gray have proven to be a solid freshman signing class for Purcell. They came in as the 10th ranked signing class in the nation, making it MSU’s second-highest class in program history.
RIVALRY NOTED
Sira Thienou hails from Bamako, Mali. But the sophomore has made her new home in Oxford. And she has taken note of the heated rivalry between the Rebels and Bulldogs.
“Last year. I was a little but new to this,” said Thienou, “but this year I really know how big of a game it is. We’re ready and we’re ready to compete and we’re ready to fight.”
FIVE NOTES
- Debreasha Powe has proven to be very reliable at the free throw line, having yet to miss at the spot this season with 17 attempts. Dating back to last year when Powe was at Mississippi State, she has made 22 straight free throws. The last time a Rebel had this many consecutive free throws made was Crystal Allen during the 2018-19 season, who had an astonishing 47 free throws.
2. Debreasha Powe has proven to be very reliable at the free throw line, having yet to miss at the spot this season with 17 attempts. Dating back to last year when Powe was at Mississippi State, she has made 22 straight free throws. The last time a Rebel had this many consecutive free throws made was Crystal Allen during the 2018-19 season, who had an astonishing 47 free throws.
3. Cotie McMahon has provided a spark to the Ole Miss offense in her first season in Oxford, She has scored at least 10 points in each of Ole Miss’ first 18 games this season, surpassing Nikki Byrd for the longest such streak in recent memory, who started the 2011-12 season with 17 consecutive games of double-digit points. She will now set her sights on Bianca Thomas, who scored at least 10 points in the first 19 games in 2009-10.
4. The Rebels swept last season’s series, winning once in Starkville and once in Greenville at the SEC Tournament. In the regular season matchup, all-time Rebel Madison Scott and freshman phenom Sira Thienou stole the show. Scott led the way offensively, scoring a career-high 30 points. Meanwhile, Thienou nearly had a double-double with 10 points and nine steals. That is the most by a Rebel since Armintie Price had 12 against Illinois on Dec. 2, 2006.
5. There have been some historical feats against the Bulldogs, including in 1985 when the Rebels dished out 35 assists, the most in a single game in program history. Individual Rebels have had legacy-defining performances against the Bulldogs, including Sandra Wells dropping a then program record 13 assists in 1978, Armintie Price hauling in 20 rebounds in 2006 and Bianca Thomas draining seven triples in 2009.