The NCAA basketball season began on Monday, Nov. 4, and Ole Miss’s Men’s and Women’s teams both faced their first official competition of the season.
The No. 20 Lady Rebels are coming off a hard-fought loss at the hands of No. 3 USC Trojans in the Aflac Oui-Play Tournament in Paris. The Trojans made two free throws with nine seconds left to edge the Rebs 68-66; if it weren’t for a pair of sloppy turnovers in the final minute, the Rebs might have hung on and won.
But the Lady Rebels showed a lot of good things. Guard KK Deans, who was injured for much of last season, made four three-pointers and led Ole Miss in scoring with 19 points. The Rebels shot over 30% from beyond the arc, much better than the Trojans’ 9.1%.
The Rebels also played well defensively; despite a 27-point performance from Trojan guard Juju Watkins, who is perhaps the best player in the country, Ole Miss outscored USC in three quarters.
Still, there is plenty to improve on. Guard Kennedy Todd-Williams shot only 2-18 from the field, an out-of-character performance for the senior wing. The Rebels had only two scorers in double figures, and the bench combined for a measly 11 points.
The Lady Rebs will look to bounce back against the Golden Lions of Arkansas Pine-Bluff in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m.. The Golden Lions were lambasted by the unranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls on Monday Nov. 4, scoring only 17 points in the entire first half.
The Lady Rebels’ defense, specifically its length, will likely prove overwhelming for the Golden Lions offense. Todd-Williams and fellow guard Madison Scott, both standing over six feet tall, are tough perimeter defenders.
On the other side of the ball, the Golden Lions allowed Oklahoma State to shoot a staggering 57.1% from the field and 52.2% from three. Ole Miss will hope to exploit this poor defense.
The No. 24 men’s team also has action this week. They took care of business on Monday, Nov. 4, beating Long Island 90-60. Guard Jaylen “Juju” Murray led all scorers with 24 points, though it was a solid all-around performance, with twelve players on Ole Miss logging points.
