No. 13 Ole Miss Women’s Basketball defeated the Auburn Tigers 71-45 on Monday, Feb. 2. The game was played at a neutral site in Birmingham, Ala., Forward Cotie McMahon led the Lady Rebels with 20 points.
In the first quarter, Ole Miss defended well and forced several bad misses by the Tigers. McMahon took a charge and, later, capitalized on a Tiger miss for an easy basket in transition. She continued to score at a high clip; across this game and the two before, she has averaged nearly 27 points.
McMahon showcased her guard-forward versatility. She got up and down the court quickly for transition layups, and in the halfcourt offense, she made moves in the paint to get open looks.
Guard Sira Thienou’s and-one was the play of the quarter. She lunged for a loose ball, then, in one motion, absorbed a hit from a Tiger defender and hurled up a successful shot. She made the ensuing free throw to complete the 3-point play.
A three by guard Debreasha Powe in the final minute put the Lady Rebels ahead 22-10. McMahon scored 10 points in the quarter.
The second quarter was a bit sloppier. Though the Lady Rebels kept scoring, they committed several turnovers. McMahon, despite her scoring, accounted for a few of these. On one play, Thienou mishandled the ball, which led directly to an Auburn fastbreak layup.
The Lady Rebels finished the half with 12 turnovers, though they led 35-19.
In the third quarter, Ole Miss continued to make errors. McMahon and forward Christeen Iwuala both had offensive fouls; Thienou had two nice takes to the rim, but gave the Tigers another free basket after a dribbling mishap. Still, they finished the quarter up 50-31.
The Lady Rebels shot three-of-five from three in the fourth quarter (they were one-of-eight entering the quarter). Iwuala scored several physical baskets on the inside. She finished with a double-double consisting of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
This was not the prettiest game. The Lady Rebels finished with a concerning 22 turnovers. However, they played consistent, strong defense and outrebounded the Tigers 43 to 15. McPhee-McCuin’s team kept its win streak alive and now has its sights set on its upcoming slate of ranked opponents.
Alabama
The No. 13 Ole Miss Women’s Basketball traveled to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Thursday, Feb. 5 to face the No. 21 Alabama Crimson Tide.
The first quarter marked a sluggish start for the Lady Rebels. They scored only 14 points and trailed by several points. McMahon had three turnovers and her teammates accounted for three more.
They caught up in the first moments of the second quarter. Iwuala’s free throws gave the Lady Rebels their first lead of the game. They recorded 10 defensive rebounds, three blocks and only gave up seven points in the second; they ended the half up 28-25.
The third quarter was a scoring explosion for both teams. Ole Miss scored 19, but Alabama scored 23, giving the Crimson Tide a 48-47 lead heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair, and the game came down to the final seconds. Iwuala knotted the score up at 62 with a free throw with 40 seconds remaining; she missed her second attempt, but forward Latasha Lattimore gathered the offensive rebound and was fouled, earning two free throws of her own.
Lattimore made the first but missed the second, giving the Lady Rebels a 63-62 lead with 36 seconds to play. Alabama took a timeout, and on the next possession, Alabama guard Diana Collins made a layup to put the Crimson Tide ahead 64-63 with 18 seconds to play.
On the other end, McMahon euro-stepped into the lane and clanked in a floater, but was whistled for a questionable offensive foul, and the basket did not count. Alabama took over with 10 seconds; the Lady Rebels quickly fouled Collins, who missed both free throws, but Lattimore failed to convert on the final shot of the game, and the Lady Rebels lost by one.
Still, four Lady Rebels finished in double digits. McMahon scored 22, Thienou scored 13, Iwuala scored 11 and Lattimore scored 10.
Even with this loss, the Lady Rebels still have all the pieces to make a postseason run. Had a few more little moments gone their way, this could easily have been a win. This was a tough stretch of away games; Ole Miss has not played at home since Jan. 11, and the team spent the past week in the state of Alabama.
What’s next?
Ole Miss (19-5, 6-3 SEC) will host the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-13, 0-9 SEC) on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. SECN+ will broadcast the game.
