No. 17 Ole Miss hosted No. 7 LSU on Thursday, Feb. 19. Despite holding a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter, the Lady Rebels were unable to prevent a late surge by the Tigers and lost 78-70. Forward Cotie McMahon led the Rebels with 25 points, and forwards Christeen Iwuala and Latasha Lattimore also finished in double figures.
The Tigers won the tip, but the Lady Rebels opened the game with a 3-pointer by McMahon. However, the Lady Rebels could not keep up with the Tigers’ fast-paced offense in the first quarter. LSU went on a run and made seven shots in a row before missing an attempted layup in heavy traffic.
At one point, LSU challenged an out-of-bounds ruling in an attempt to get the ball back, but referees confirmed that the possession belonged to Ole Miss. McMahon was able to capitalize on the opportunity with a 3-pointer and restore some momentum to the Lady Rebels.
At the conclusion of the first quarter, the Tigers held a 26-21 lead, thanks in part to their perfect free throw shooting. The Tigers entered the bonus early and went 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
The Lady Rebels dominated the second quarter. They moved the ball at a rapid pace and managed to find some open looks, putting together a 6-0 run.
Defensively, they clamped down on the Tigers. In a one-minute stretch, the Lady Rebels forced four turnovers. The Tigers went on a scoring drought that lasted nearly four minutes during which they went 0-of-5 from the paint.
Ole Miss ended the half on a 15-6 run and went into the locker room with a 43-37 lead.
After the half, the Lady Rebels maintained their lead. After a timeout, the Lady Rebels picked up the pace and went on an 11-0 run, but the Tigers answered right back with a 6-0 run of their own. The Lady Rebels held a 63-54 lead at the end of the quarter.
The fourth quarter was much more defensive for both teams. About halfway through the quarter, though, the Tigers made a push and began to put up points off both steals and Ole Miss turnovers.
The Lady Rebels looked tired. They missed critical free throws; even worse, they did not score a single basket in the quarter. LSU ended the game on a 19-1 run and won 78-70.
For most of the game, Ole Miss looked like a top team. The Lady Rebels adapted to the Tiger’s style of play, but errors, poor rebounding and scoring droughts plagued them. Up by double digits in the fourth quarter in front of a rowdy Ole Miss crowd, this was a missed opportunity for the Lady Rebels.
What’s next?
No. 17 Ole Miss (21-7, 8-5 SEC) will travel to Columbia, S.C. to take on No. 3 South Carolina on Sunday, Feb. 22. SEC Network will broadcast the game.
