Ole Miss Women’s Basketball (20-6, 8-5 SEC) came out on top in Music City with a huge win over Vanderbilt (12-16, 3-11 SEC) due to a fourth quarter push. The Rebels defeated the Commodores 57-47. This is their first win in Nashville since 1987. This win advanced the Rebels to 20 wins this season, the first time since 2006-07.
Ole Miss struggled to keep possession in the beginning, giving up seven turnovers in the first quarter. Despite this, the Rebels were able to keep the lead for the majority of the first half. Shakira Austin capitalized on missed shots, pulling down eight rebounds in the first half to put the Rebels up 21-17. Vanderbilt found their offensive footing right before the half, going on an 8-2 run to earn their first lead of the game. However, a last-minute layup by Lashonda Monk tied the score at 25 heading into the locker room.
Ole Miss came out hot offensively to start off the second half, stringing together a 9-0 run to put them up by six. Vanderbilt gave into the strong defensive pressure put on by the Rebels, turning the ball over seven times in the third quarter. The Commodores kept fighting and took a one-point lead with 10 minutes remaining in the contest, but the Rebels refused to let up.
Ole Miss put together an impressive 16-2 run with five minutes remaining to seal the deal and snag their 20th win of the season. Despite 27 turnovers on the offensive side, the Rebels outrebounded the Commodores 36 to 20. This was a huge win for the Rebels, fighting through a back-and-forth battle of 12 ties and 12 lead changes.
Austin had yet another amazing performance for the Rebels, finishing with 22 points and a season-high 15 rebounds, her eighth double-double of the season. Not far behind was Monk with 18 points, going 7-12 from the field.
“This was the type of win that I would say we needed right now, just because we have not done well in adversity in the past. And today we pushed through,” said Head Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. “They knew what was at stake. We felt like if we got this win it would really put us in good position for the NCAA Tournament, and obviously that’s our goal.”
Ole Miss will be back in action Tuesday night for a rescheduled matchup against Arkansas. Catch the Rebels in the SJB Pavilion at 6 p.m. CST or on SEC Network+.
