Cotie McMahon
The recent winter storm has left Oxford a wreck. The cleanup will take months. Trees are down, homes are damaged and games have been cancelled or moved. Many residents are still sitting in the dark and cold.
The Ole Miss women’s basketball team is a victim of thr storm,
On Thursday, the 17th-ranked Rebels (17-4, 4-2 SEC) will take the court in another state for a game against the No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores (20-1, 6-1 SEC). This is the second game affected for the Rebels by the winter storm. Monday night’s scheduled game against the Tennessee Lady Vols was postponed.
The game will tip at 2 p.m. CT. It will be televised live on the SEC Network+. For those in the Oxford area still without lights, you can breakout some batteries for your hand-held radio or hop in the car and listen on the Ole Miss Radio Network. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. CT, with all seating general admission at Birmingham’s Legacy Arena. Admission is free to all.
The last time out, Ole Miss defeated Missouri 82-61 in a dominant effort in Columbia. The Rebels used that game to help erase a terrible effort in a loss at Georgia.
Ole Miss enters then contest with the reigning SEC Player of the Week in Ohio State transfer Cotie McMahon. Against Missouri, the 6-2 McMahon was unstoppable, tallying 33 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. while also effectively running the team from the point position.
SCOUTING THE COMMODORES
Shea Ralph has transformed Vanderbilt into a national powerhouse just five seasons in Nashville. She’s guided the Commodores to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths, marking the first time Vanderbilt has done so since earning 15-straight bids from 1999-2014. She’s 93-60 as head coach of the program.
Much of hers and Vanderbilt’s success as of recently has come off the back of standout sophomore Mikayla Blakes. Last season’s SEC Freshman of the Year, Blakes has continued to develop and shine under Ralph’s tutelage. Blakes is scoring at an unbelievable rate, averaging an SEC-leading 24.8 points per contest, as well as 4.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game. She ranks first in the SEC in made field goals and free throws, leading to her pacing the conference in overall points.
Vanderbilt isn’t a one-woman show, as the Commodores are 20-1 entering Friday’s competition. Their only loss, last time out against No. 3/3 South Carolina, is the only blemish on what has been an incredible open to the season.
Behind Blakes, Vanderbilt is top 10 nationally in scoring offense and margin thus far this season. Once again, the Rebels are facing the top 3-point shooting team in the SEC, as Vanderbilt is averaging nearly 10 made shots from long distance this season (9.9, to be exact). That mark is fifth in the nation. The Commodores make those shots at an efficient rate as well, draining 40.6 percent from that distance, which is 13th nationally.
The Commodores are highly effective at protecting and distributing the ball, sitting fifth in the country in assist/turnover ratio at 1.82. In large part, this is due to freshman guard Aubrey Galvan’s 2.44 individual mark, which is fourth in the SEC and top 20 in the country. Galvan is Ralph’s most recent example of recruiting dominant freshmen, as Galvan also ranks fourth in assists per game and sixth in steals per game among conference competitors. She’s also tied for second on the team in points per game (11.7).
Defensively, Vanderbilt is one of the stingiest teams in the conference regarding steals. The Commodores force the fourth most turnovers per game, while stealing the third most.
Other contributing members include Justine Pissot and Sacha Washington. Pissot is the team’s top 3-point shooter, holding a 44 percent clip from long distance this season. Washington maintains the boards with 8.0 rebounds per game. She ranks third among all active SEC players in career rebounds with 884, and ninth in career blocks with 124.