Yo' asks for prayers as Ole Miss women depart Oxford bound for Minneapolis

Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin addressed a crowd of well-wisher before departing Oxford for Minneapolis on Wednesday morning.

The OIe Miss Rebels are en route to their destiny. The Rebels boarded a bus bound for a jet plane on Wednesday morning as a cheerful crowd of well-wishers gave them best wishes.

The destination? Minneapolis and the NCAA Regional.

Ole Miss will face Gonzaga at 2:30 p.m. CT Friday in an opening-round game. The winner will play the winner of Friday’s other game in Minneapolis between host Minnesota and Green Bay on Sunday. Ole Miss is No. 5 seed in the tourney, Minnesota is No. 4, Gonzaga No. 12 and Green Bay No. 13.

Prior to departing Oxford on Wednesday, Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin addressed her fans.

“This morning when I woke up I was thinking about the first time we went to the NCAA Tournament,” McPhee-McCuin said, “and the joy and gratitude I felt. And then I thought about the first time we went to the Sweet 16 and we had this talk and I said, ‘We’ll be gone for a while.’ The people here believed it. No one else did. But the people here believed.

“I’m just here to tell you that I really feel good about this group. They’ve just been awesome as people. This has really been a special year. We have gone through a lot, but I think it is preparing us for a time like this. My ask is…as we head on the bus and get on the plane…is you just lift us up in prayer. I think that’s what we need, because we already have that faith. All year, it’s been Galatians 6:9. We have continued to work and we have not been weary, so that we can reap at a time like this.”

The Rebels are a 13.5-point favorite over Gonzaga, according to ESPN.

Ole Miss is led by All-American superstar Cotie McMahon who averages a team-high 19.9 points per game and Christeen Iwuala, averaging a squad-best 8.8 rebounds. Both are Big 10 transfers, as McMahon came to Oxford from Ohio State and Iwuala from UCLA.

THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

all times Eastern

Wednesday, March 18 (First Four)

Thursday, March 19 (First Four)

Friday, March 20 (First Round/Round of 64)

Saturday, March 21 (First Round/Round of 64)

This is the schedule for the tournament:

Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15 on ESPN
First Four: March 18-19
First round: March 20-21
Second round: March 22-23
Sweet 16: March 27-28 in Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, Calif.
Elite Eight: March 29-30 in Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, Calif.
Final Four: Friday, April 3 in Phoenix, Ariz.
NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 5 in Phoenix, Ariz.

GO REBS !

David Johnson