The NCAA Tournament Schedule: Ole Miss WBB vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs in First Round Clash

OXFORD, Miss. – Making its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament, fifth-seeded Ole Miss women's basketball will kick off the Madness against 12th-seeded Gonzaga in Williams Arena on Friday, March 20.

The Rebels will look to secure a victory in the first round of the tournament for the fourth year in a row and the 15th time in program history, taking on the Bulldogs at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

TEAM FACTS
No. 19/20 Ole Miss Rebels (23-11, 8-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 8th Season at Ole Miss (148-105) • 13th Season in Career (242-168)

Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-9, 14-4 WCC)
Head Coach: Lisa Fortier • 12th Season at GU (313-83) • 12th Season in Career (313-83)

ON THE AIR
Television: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Krista Blunk
Color: Andrea Lloyd

OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty

REBELS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Appearing in its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, Ole Miss reaches the big dance for the fifth straight season. The Rebels are one of only four teams that have been in the SEC the last five years to accomplish that feat.

The Rebels have made it past the first weekend of the tournament in over half of their appearances, making 12 Sweet Sixteens before moving on to five Elite Eights.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Women's Basketball.

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss will open its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance with a matchup against 12th-seeded Gonzaga. It marks just the fourth time in the programs' histories that they've faced, with the Rebels holding a 2-1 series lead.

This is the second time the Rebels and Bulldogs are meeting in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the first time being the most recent matchup on March 17, 2023. Ole Miss bested Gonzaga, 71-48, to advance to the next round of the tournament.

Ole Miss' first win over Gonzaga came on Nov. 26, 2010, at the Waikiki Rainbow Wahine Beach Marriott Classic in Honolulu. Kayla Melson dropped 20 points with seven rebounds and four assists to push the Rebels past the Bulldogs, 53-52. Valencia McFarland scored Ole Miss' gamewinner with four seconds on the clock. Gonzaga won the first game of the series, 66-62, on Dec. 30, 1993.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
- Lisa Fortier is in her 12th season guiding Gonzaga as its head women's basketball coach. Fortier has been coaching at Gonzaga since 2007, and she began her career as the coordinator of basketball operations at Gonzaga in 2004.

- Fortier has brought Gonzaga's women's basketball team to new heights since her first season at the helm, leading the Bulldogs to a 313-83 record entering the NCAA Tournament. She's four wins away from becoming Gonzaga's winningest head coach, a feat she will accomplish nearly 50 games quicker than the present leader.

- Under Fortier, Gonzaga is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have qualified for nine postseason appearances, and this season marks a return to the big dance after participating in the WBIT last year. The Bulldogs have reached the Sweet 16 twice with Fortier on the bench, most recently in 2023-24, a year in which they went 16-0 in conference play.

- This season, Gonzaga went a solid 24-9 overall with a 14-4 record against WCC opponents. Gonzaga bested Oregon State in the WCC Championship game earlier this month, its 11th conference tournament victory in program history.

- Redshirt freshman Lauren Whittaker has been Gonzaga's most efficient and capable scorer this season, averaging 19.4 points per game on a 55.3 percent shooting clip. She's also deadly from long range, making just over 37 percent of her 3-point attempts.

- Whittaker is also a solid rebounder, as she averages a double-double with a 10.2 average in the paint. She's recorded 17 double-doubles this season, which is 14th in the country.

- However, Allie Turner is Gonzaga's top 3-point shooter, making 46.7 percent from such distance this season. That is the third highest 3-point percentage in the nation and second highest among competitors in the NCAA Tournament this season.

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