Stars against stars, ranked against ranked, a big game deserved a big game atmosphere and that’s exactly what Coach Yo and Ole Miss got. No.17 Ole Miss matched up with No. 7 LSU inside the SJB Pavilion Thursday night, and the lights were as bright as expected.
After a convincing 94-81 win against Tennessee on Tuesday, Ole Miss put themselves right back in the driver seat to be a potential host for this years NCAA Tournament.
Noticeably absent for Ole Miss was sophomore guard Sira Thienou, out with a “bone bruise” according to head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.
Cotie McMahon and Flau’Jae Johnson ignited the crowd early, both showcasing their abilities at the highest order. LSU led 14-7 after the first stoppage, yet the noise remained electric from Ole Miss fans, the Tigers never stopped attacking. LSU would start the game shooting 8-10 (80%) from the field, attacking with aggression and swagger on both ends LSU remained in control early. LSU star Flau’jae Johnson would go down with an apparent knee injury in the first quarter, and the following possession Ole Miss forward Latasha Lattimore would go down with an ankle injury. A high packed first quarter would see Ole Miss trailing 21-26, with plenty of positives from both teams. Ole Miss played to their identity in the first quarter, getting the ball inside the paint with success, as the Rebels went 5-5 from the charity stripe and forced the Tigers to four turnovers in the first quarter.
Ole Miss would quickly knot the game up at 26, after back-to-back buckets, and things would continue to be back and forth from that point. Neither team could find away to create breathing room, Ole Miss remained steady and patient building off the energy of the crowd. What quickly would turn into a defensive matchup, LSU would go over three minutes without scoring, but Ole Miss could not capitalize. Both teams continued to be neck and neck, as the game remained tied at 31 with just under four minutes to play in the second quarter. Immediately out of the timeout, Tianna Thompson would find her first bucket of the night, with a huge three pointer, bringing much life to the entire team. The Cotie McMahon experience would quickly begin, and that’s always a good sign for Ole Miss fans. A quick fast break bucket, and a huge and-one layup from McMahon would give Ole Miss a 41-35 lead within the last minute of the second quarter. Ole Miss found success to end the half, extending their lead to 43-37 at the break, shooting 50% from the field would boost the momentum for the Rebels.
LSU would start the second half on attack mode, showing relentless aggressiveness on both ends, the Ole Miss lead would quickly shrink to two points. Things would get spicy in the third quarter, as LSU forward Grace Knox would receive a technical foul after excessive talking after a hard foul on McMahon. Successfully making three of the four free throw attempts, McMahon would extend the Ole Miss lead to ten, and immediately after Tianna Thompson would follow with a huge three. In less than two minutes, Ole Miss would go on a 11-0 run, but LSU kept fighting. A visibly injured Flau’jae Johnson continued to make her presence felt on the floor. Johnson continued to be the catalyst for the Tigers offense, remaining physical throughout the night. Both teams would have to play through contact throughout the game. Both teams would struggle from the field in the last few minutes of the third quarter, but Ole Miss continued to hold a commanding 63-54 with one quarter left to play.
The identity of the Rebels defensive attack was on full affect in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter. LSU would start 0-4 from the field, but it was quickly evident that the gas was beginning to run out for Ole Miss. LSU remained vigilant, tying the game up at 69 with 3:29 to play, all momentum quickly went to the Tigers. LSU would go on a 10-0 run, as the Rebels could not find the bottom of the basket in the fourth quarter, shooting a abysmal 0-17 in the final ten minutes. With 1:30 remaining, LSU found themselves up 74-70, the Tigers would go on a 15-1 run over a five minute period. McMahon would miss an opportunity at the charity stripe to cut the deficit down to two, but failed to convert, and Iwuala would suffer the same result two possessions later. Ole Miss simply could not find a answer, resulting in a heartbreaking loss to a resilient Tigers squad 78-70.
Ole Miss will go on the road to face South Carolina Sunday with a 11:00 a.m. ct start