While students were away, relaxing over winter break, the Ole Miss Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams were busy on the court.
Women’s Basketball off to electric start
The other half of Ole Miss Basketball is off to a fiery start, going 7-1 over the break. Coach Yo and her Lady Rebels started the season strong in the West Palm Beach Invitational, topping Texas Tech 65-50 and No. 18 South Florida 61-53, their first win over a ranked non-conference opponent since 2007.
The Rebels got off to a slow start in SEC play due to their opening games being postponed due to COVID-19. However, the Rebels persisted, heading down to Gainesville to take on the University of Florida, beating them 74-56. Shakira Austin earned her fifth double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
In their toughest test thus far, the Rebels fell 58-70 to the No. 7 Lady Volunteers of Tennessee on Jan. 9. Tennessee came into the game as the nation’s leader in rebounds and Ole Miss could not come up with enough offense to overpower the Vols. Austin had another great showing with 26 points, proving herself as one of the top players in women’s basketball right now.
In their two games since the loss, the Rebels dominated Alabama in a 30-point victory, 86-56, and beat rival Mississippi State for the first time in more than seven years, 86-71.
Coach Yo has continued to prove her dominance in Oxford and showcase that #NoCeilings is a mindset worth buying into.
Coach Yo and Ole Miss Basketball will be back in action Jan. 20 in College Station, Texas, as they take on Texas A&M at 7 p.m. CST.
Men’s Basketball coming up short
In their eight games over break, Head Coach Kermit Davis and the men’s team went 3-5, losing to two top ranked teams, Tennessee and Auburn, in tight matchups.
It took overtime on Jan. 5 to decide the game between the Volunteers and the Rebels, but the Rebels eventually fell 60-66. Ole Miss was without their leader on and off the court, Jarkel Joiner, as he was sidelined with an injury. Senior Tye Fagan had a great showing against the Vols, racking up 23 points and knocking down five three-pointers.
The Rebels topped rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8, 82-72, where sophomore Matthew Murrell showed out. Murrell finished the night with 31 points, 6-for-6 from the free throw line and drained five three-pointers.
Against the No. 4 Auburn Tigers on Jan. 15, the Rebels held the lead for the majority of the game, but couldn’t keep up with a late Auburn defensive surge, falling 71-80.
The Rebels earned wins against Middle Tennessee and Dayton, 62-52 and 76-68. The men will be back on Jan. 18 to play host to the Missouri Tigers with tipoff at 6 p.m. CST.
