Ole Miss Women's Basketball Pulls Off Huge Upset Over No. 8 Kentucky

Ole Miss returned to the win column in a big way on Monday night.

Ole Miss Rebels guard Madison Scott attempts a layup against the Kentucky Wildcats at the SJB Pavilion in Oxford, Miss. | Ole Miss Athletic

The Ole Miss Rebels dropped a tough game to the nationally-ranked Oklahoma Sooners last Thursday, but they made up for that in a big way on Monday night as they took down the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats 66-57 at the SJB Pavilion in Oxford.

Ole Miss (16-7, 7-4 SEC) marked just the third loss of the season for Kentucky and its second in conference play. The Rebels trailed 22-18 at the end of the first quarter and 37-31 at halftime, but they outscored the Wildcats 35-20 in the final two frames to secure the win.

The Rebels only had one player reach a double-digit point total on Monday night, but it came in a big way from Madison Scott. She scored 22 points to lead all scorers, and Ole Miss shot 32.5 percent from the field, 14.3 percent from three and 66.7 percent from the free throw line in the win.

Kentucky, by comparison, had three players reach double digits (led by Teonni Key with 18) and shot 44.6 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from three and 75 percent from the charity stripe.

After the game, Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin was visibly proud of her team, beginning her opening statement with a quote of the Bible and Psalm 30:5.

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning," McPhee-McCuin said. "This was just a phenomenal win for Team 50. We had been sowing, and I knew at some point, we would be able to reap. I'm just grateful that I had a chance to lead this group. I think they got tired of losing close games, and the communication in the huddle was phenomenal.

"I thought our game plan was superb, and I thought their execution of it was even better."

One of the biggest advantages for Ole Miss on Monday came on the glass. The Rebels outrebounded Kentucky 54-33, and they secured 27 offensive boards to the Wildcats' four. According to Coach Yo, that was a point of emphasis leading up to the game.

"My husband was like, 'No toughness, no chance,' and that's what I put on the board," McPhee-McCuin said. "I just really believe that, and we wanted to be the tougher team tonight."

Ole Miss will now look to carry this momentum on the road as it travels to Fayetteville on Thursday to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.