Ole Miss Women’s Basketball lost to No. 4 Minnesota 65-63 in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in Minneapolis on Sunday, March 22. Golden Gopher Amaya Battle hit a 13-foot jumper with 0.8 seconds remaining to win the game. The ensuing shot from Rebel Tianna Thompson came up short.
The Lady Rebels started the fourth quarter up by eight points, but a Minnesota rally tied the game with a minute and 17 seconds remaining. Golden Gopher Mara Braun’s 3-pointer evened things up.
Ole Miss committed a shot-clock violation on their next possession, and Minnesota’s Sophie Hart scored a layup with 18 seconds remaining to take a 63-61 lead.
Latasha Lattimore scored a layup to tie the game at 63 with 3.1 seconds left. Minnesota hit the dagger just seconds later.
Sira Thienou led the Rebels in scoring with 18 points, followed by Cotie McMahon with 15. Ole Miss shot 43% from the field, 46% from 3-point range and 81% from the free-throw line.
Despite a tremendous defensive effort that saw the Rebels grab eight steals and force 15 turnovers, foul trouble doomed Ole Miss. McMahon dealt with fouls early and ultimately fouled out with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter, keeping a key piece for Ole Miss sidelined.
Three of the Rebels’ starting five had four or more fouls. Minnesota also out-rebounded Ole Miss 30 -28, which proved to be crucial down the stretch of the fourth quarter.
Ole Miss ends the 2025-26 campaign with a 24-12 (8-8 SEC) record. This season’s Round of 32 appearance marked the Rebels’ fourth straight.
