Ole Miss Women's Basketball Pulls Off Historic 91-32 Win Over South Carolina State

OXFORD, Miss. – No. 17/16 Ole Miss women’s basketball was at the top of its game as it throttled South Carolina State in historic fashion, 91-32, Sunday afternoon at the SJB Pavilion in Oxford, Mississippi.

With the win, it marks the second time under head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin the Rebels (10-1, 0-0 SEC) have reached 10 wins in a season after only 11 games.

Last time Ole Miss did so, McPhee-McCuin led the Rebels to a 13-1 start during the 2021-22 season. Overall, it’s only the third time in the 21st century that the Rebels have started 10-1 or better in the season’s first 11 games.

Ole Miss’ 59-point victory is tied for the seventh-widest margin of victory in program history, and its largest win this season. Additionally, 32 points by the Bulldogs is tied for the sixth-fewest points allowed in Ole Miss women’s basketball history.

Defense and clean play headlined Ole Miss’ dominant victory over SC State (3-10, 0-0 MEAC). The Rebels didn’t allow more than 10 points from the Bulldogs in three of the four quarters in the game, including a season-low four in the fourth quarter, all while forcing several extended streaks of scoreless action.

Cotie McMahon: Ole Miss Basketball. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Women's Basketball.

Likewise, the Rebels limited the amount of fouls they committed, sending the Bulldogs to the free throw line only six times and getting caught for only eight fouls. When the Rebels found themselves at the free throw line however, they had their best day of the season, going 26-for-29 on the day for a season high 89.7 percentage.

Despite a slow start offensively, the Rebels got the ball rolling for 35 complete minutes of action. Five Rebels reached double figures in points, the second time that many Rebels have accumulated 10-plus points this season.

Leading the charge was Latasha Lattimore, who had a strong game for the second time in as many days. She scored a team-leading 18 points with seven rebounds and three blocks. She’s accumulated multiple blocks in the same game for the fifth time this season and has led the team in blocks eight times through 11 games.

Among all statistical categories on a game-to-game basis, no player has led the team more often through 11 games this season than Lattimore with blocks.

Sophomore Tianna Thompson had her most complete afternoon of effort this season, totaling a season-high 16 points on 5-for-5 shooting and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

Ole Miss Rebels Women's Basketball vs. Baylor. Bears: NCAA Tournament. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Women's Basketball.

She became the first Rebel to be perfect from the floor with at least five attempts since teammate Christeen Iwuala did so last season. She also added four assists and a team-leading three steals, while holding the second-best plus-minus of the team at +39.

Iwuala, Cotie McMahon and Kaitlin Peterson were the other players to record double-digit points. Iwuala contributed 14 points, eight of which came from the free throw line, on top of a team-leading nine rebounds.

She also added four assists, a block and one steal. Peterson and McMahon each scored 10, combining for six rebounds, five assists and two steals. For McMahon, her streak of double-digit scoring continues to 11 games. She’s three games from tying Shandricka Sessom for the most recent longest streak of season-opening games with at least 10 points.

The Bulldogs opened the games with a 5-0 lead, as the Rebels came out flat offensively. That would change after a three from Debreasha Powe, and the momentum of the game drastically shifted after a mid-distance jumper from Lattimore.

Following that bucket, the Rebels went on a 15-0 scoring run that lasted the rest of the quarter. Iwuala caused a turnover, leading to a fastbreak layup for Sira Thienou to tie the game.

Ole Miss Women's Basketball defeats Baylor Bears: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 bound. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Women's Basketball.

After an Ole Miss free throw, Iwuala found Powe for another corner three, putting Ole Miss up by two possessions with three minutes to go in the half. Sira Thienou made a three with five seconds in the quarter for good measure, giving the Rebels an 18-7 lead heading into the second.

After taking two fouls from SC State on the first possession, Denim DeShields maintained Ole Miss’ great deep range shooting on the day, draining her first bucket of the day just before the shot clock expired. Ole Miss’ defense remained unshakable, continuing to hold SC State without a bucket.

In fact, the time between SC States last basket in the first quarter and its first in the second quarter amounted to 10 minutes and 15 seconds, more than a full quarter of game action.

In that span, the Rebels scored 26 points. McMahon had most to do with Ole Miss’ scoring onslaught, tallying six points in the quarter. The Rebels strong defense propelled them to a 39-16 lead at the break. For Ole Miss, 16 points is the fewest points allowed in the first half of any game this season.

SC State opened the second half sloppy, fouling Ole Miss in three of its first five possessions. This helped the Rebels extend their lead from the line, who went 6-for-6 in their initial attempts of the quarter, four of which came from Iwuala.

Of Ole Miss’ 23 points in the quarter, 11 of which came from the charity stripe, with the Rebels not missing a single attempt. The Bulldogs committed seven fouls in the quarter to the Rebels three, further helping the Rebels to a 62-28 lead with 10 minutes to play.

Ole Miss refused to hold back in the fourth quarter, as it immediately got to work in shutting down SC State.

Lattimore got the action started by draining the first two buckets of the quarter. Iwuala added a layup, then Thompson made her second 3-pointer of the day. SC State could not find rhythm on the offensive end until less than five minutes in the quarter, its first basket of the quarter.

Thompson continued to excel in the waning minutes of the game, converting a traditional 3-point play with an and-one to give the Rebels a 49-point lead. The remainder of the quarter saw Thompson and Peterson exchanging free throws and layups until the final buzzer with the score at 91-32.

After a brief pause in action, Ole Miss returns to SJB Pavilion on Wednesday, Dec. 17, to face Mississippi Valley State for the final home game before the holiday break. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. CT and will be streamed on SECN+.

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