The Lady Rebels travelled to Colombia, Mo., on Jan. 22 in search of a bounce back victory against the Missouri Tigers. Ole Miss came out victorious, 82-61. Forward Cotie McMahon scored 33 points.
Since Missouri thrives on the perimeter, the key for the Ole Miss defense was to eliminate Tiger three point attempts. Missouri is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the country.
The Ole Miss defense only gave up four made threes and forced the Tigers to shoot in the paint in the first half, and made it difficult to do even that. Forward Latasha Lattimore charted four blocks in the first half.
The Lady Rebels finished the first half up 29-23, their largest lead of the game. Lattimore gave the Lady Rebels that lead on her offensive rebound and put-back right before the conclusion of the half.
In the second half, the Lady Rebel offense truly came alive. McMahon was everywhere. She tallied several defensive rebounds; she capitalized on one with a fast break layup on the other end.
The Lady Rebel offense scored 20 points in the third quarter and 33 in the fourth. They also drew 11 fouls from the Tigers due to their aggressiveness in the paint.
McMahon set a season high and tied her career high in scoring with 33 points. She filled up the stat sheet with 12 rebounds and five assists. During one stretch in the second half, the Lady Rebels made 11 consecutive shots. The last of these came on guard Sira Thienou’s third three of the quarter, which put her in double-double status as well. She finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and two assists.
The game ultimately came down to Missouri’s lack of an answer for McMahon, who is a threat on both sides of the ball. Her shooting can not be silenced on any part of the floor. From beyond the arc, in the paint and at the free-throw line, McMahon has an elite ability to score.
Nine Lady Rebels scored points; three finished in double figures. If the Lady Rebels can continue to click like they did against Missouri, they will remain a force to be reckoned with.
What’s next?
The No. 18 Lady Rebels will face No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers Oxford, Miss., on Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. ESPN will broadcast the game.
