The Ole Miss Lady Rebels cruised past two Southwestern Athletic Conference teams on Friday, Nov. 7 and Wednesday, Nov. 12. With two outstanding performances, the Lady Rebels have started the season on a strong foot and will look to improve even further as the season progresses.
Alabama A&M
The Lady Rebels traveled to Huntsville, Ala., on Nov. 7 to take on the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. Ole Miss won, 84-45.
The Lady Rebels’ strong defense was worth noting in this win. The main defensive method for the night was a full court press, and it proved to be extremely effective. Alabama A&M turned the ball over 31 times. The Lady Rebels made the most of these opportunities; 36 of the Rebels’ 84 points came off Bulldog turnovers.
The Lady Rebels did not allow the Bulldogs to find a rhythm offensively, holding the Bulldogs to just 18 points in the first half. Forward Latasha Lattimore was a major contributor on defense. She recorded three blocks.
“We knew what the goal was, which was to start just from the jump just to execute and do things we know how to do on defense,” forward Christeen Iwuala said in a postgame press conference. “Whether it’s (to) get three stops in a row, which is a kill for us, or just end off with a box out and a rebound, just really going in on those details.”
The Lady Rebels not only dominated on defense — they also lit up the scoreboard. Forward Cotie McMahon led all scorers with 20 points, reaching the 1,500 career-points milestone. Iwuala added 15 to the board, and guards Sira Thienou and Debreasha Powe added 8 points each.
The Lady Rebels scored 84 points, which is no small feat, yet head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin worries that this high volume came at the expense of game control.
“They did a good job speeding us up as well, we started to play almost like them, being sped up (and) not being patient,” McPhee-McCuin said in a postgame press conference. “What I would have wanted us to do is just calm down a little bit and run our offense so that we can get the best shot possible.”
With fouls on both sides — Ole Miss committed 22, Alabama A&M committed 25 — both teams scored several free throws. The Lady Rebels shot 21-of-30 from behind the charity stripe, while the Bulldogs shot 12-of-19.
One major asset for Ole Miss is its depth. Eleven different Lady Rebels logged minutes, each of whom scored at least two points. This team has players who are ready to go in and contribute at any point in the game.
Southern University
The Lady Rebels’ returned to The Sandy and John Black Pavilion on Nov. 12 against the Southern University Jaguars. Ole Miss put together four quarters of dominance, winning 94-44 to move to 3-0 on the season.
Like the game before, the Ole Miss defense shined: The team forced 17 turnovers, 10 which came in the first half. The players also scored 19 points off turnovers.
Lattimore, once again, applied lots of pressure and was active on the boards. In the first half alone, she recorded six rebounds (two offensive), a block and a steal.
Iwuala was named player of the game for her performance. She recorded a double-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block in 23 minutes.
“I think (Iwuala) will be one of the best posts in the SEC,” McPhee-McCuin said in a postgame press conference. “Christeen is very tough to guard one-on-one. … She can do a lot of things. She can handle the rock really well.”
Iwuala cites the time and effort she put in during the offseason, as well as her confidence in herself, for her solid stat line. Her teammates also played a role.
“I feel like just really believing in the work that I put in in the offseason,” Iwuala said in a postgame press conference. “(Putting) the gear under my belt, and the new people surrounding me and the goals we have set for ourselves. We’re trying to go to the Final Four.”
McMahon posted a double-double of her own with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She also recorded two assists and a steal.
The Lady Rebel defense only gave up 44 total points. This helped fuel the offense.
“I think our offense kind of just takes care of itself,” McMahon said in a postgame press conference. “We started strong defensively. I feel like that gets the game going for whoever offensively.”
Ten Lady Rebels scored points, yet McPhee-McCuin believes her team is not even playing at its highest level yet.
“I don’t think any of our players have played their best,” McPhee-McQuin said. “So to me, that’s encouraging, because we don’t want to already (be) playing our best. We need to be playing our best in February. We are not playing our best right now, and for a coach, that’s encouraging.”Freshman Lauren Jacobs put up 10 points and showed she could compete at a high level even as the youngest on the team.
“(Jacobs) is just fearless,” McPhee-McCuin said. “She’s not afraid to shoot the ball. She’s not afraid to create opportunities for herself by driving into the paint.”
This team consists of players who are always ready to both score with the ball in their hands as well as those ready to make a big play on defense. The Lady Rebels constantly flock to the goal to rebound.
Against Alabama A&M, Ole Miss had an effective yet antsy offensive performance. When they slowed down the pace of offense against Southern, the Lady Rebels were more methodical.
The Lady Rebels are not afraid to drive to the goal and draw a foul. The team is scrappy on defense and has generated 48 turnovers in just two games.
What’s next?
The Lady Rebels will travel to Memphis to take on the Tigers on Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
