The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Basketball Opens Season At Vermont Howard Bank Classic
11/15/2000 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2000
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GAME #1 - OLE MISS vs. Radford University
Howard Bank Classic - Burlington, Vt.
DATE: Nov. 17, 2000
TIME: 6:00 p.m. EST
SITE: Patrick Gymnasium
RADIO: WTNM 105.5 FM
OLE MISS OPENS REGULAR SEASON IN VERMONT
The Ole Miss women's basketball team opens the regular season Nov. 17-18 at the Vermont Howard Bank Classic in Burlington, Vt. The Lady Rebels will meet Radford University in the first round Friday, at 6:00 p.m. EST. Lafayette and Vermont face each other in the second game.
ALDY BEGINS FOURTH YEAR
Ron Aldy is in his fourth year as the person in charge of rebuilding Ole Miss women's basketball back to where it once was. Aldy has dedicated himself to making Ole Miss a winner on and off the court. After a difficult first season, Aldy guided the team to its 23rd winning season in 199 and a return trip to postseason play. Following a return to postseason play two years ago, the ship appeared to be headed in the right direction for Ole Miss women's basketball. The 1999-2000 season was sailing along with a 10-2 start in non-conference action. Then the Lady Rebels hit SEC play, where they lost seven games by 10 points or less. Injuries began to mount, and the Lady Rebels were unable to get the ship back on course. With more determination and motivation, the Lady Rebels look ahead to the 2000-01 season. Off the court, the Lady Rebels have made tremendous strides academically and in the community. In 1999, Ole Miss led the league with six players named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and in 2000 were second with six. Since Aldy got here, five players have received their bachelor's degrees.
NEW STAFF ON BOARD
During the offseason, Aldy added two new members to the Lady Rebel staff. Gil Thompson joined the program as an assistant coach and Aldy says he (Thompson) should pay dividends in recruiting for the future of the program. Thompson came to Ole Miss from Raymond, Miss., where he spent the past season as the head coach of the Girls team. Thompson led the Rangerettes to a 33-5 overall record and the 4A State Championship, the first in the school's history. Drew Clinton is on board in the capacity of Administrative Assistant. Clinton, a native of Olive Branch, Miss., spent the past four years serving as the Sports Manager for the national Amateur Athletic Association in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
LADY REBELS MOVING
The Lady Rebels are moving - well in a way. For the past 15 years, all Lady Rebel home games have been broadcast on WQLJ Q93.7 FM. This year the Lady Rebel games will be broadcast on WTNM Supertalk Mississippi (105.5 FM), with each broadcast beginning 15 minutes prior to the scheduled tip-off. Gary Darby returns for his ninth season as the ?Voice of the Lady Rebels?.
OLE MISS DEFEATS HOUSTON JAGUARS IN FINAL EXHIBITION
Four players scored in double figures, led by Tenisha Gist' 17 points, to lead Ole Miss to a 101-88 win over the visiting Houston Jaguars Sunday. Gist came off the bench and went 11-of-17 from the free throw line. Senior guard Becky Myatt added 15 points and six rebounds, junior Von Kirk chipped in 13 points and junior college transfer Sherika Wright scored 12 points on 6-of-8 from the field. Sophomore forward Kayla Madewell grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds, as the Lady Rebels out-rebounded the Jaguars 59-44. Ole Miss shot 45.7 percent for the game. In their first exhibition game, the Lady Rebels defeated Slovan Bratislava 76-67.
SCOUTING RADFORD
Ole Miss will meet Radford University in the first round of the Howard Bank Classic, Friday at 6:00 p.m. EST. The Lady Rebels and Radford will be meeting for the first time on the hardcourt. Radford, a member of the Big South Conference, posted an 11-17 overall record last year and finished third in their league. The Highlanders return two starters from a year ago, led by senior guard Catrice Horton, who averaged 12.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Amanda Maks, another senior guard, averaged 3.5 points per game.
OLE MISS VS. THE BIG SOUTH
Ole Miss has not played any teams from the Big South, which includes Birmingham Southern, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Elon, High Point, Liberty, UNC-Asheville, Radford and Winthrop.
POSSIBLE SECOND ROUND OPPONENTS
Vermont
The other half of the bracket in the Howard Bank Classic features host Vermont against Lafayette. Vermont, a member of the America East Conference, is led by sophomore guard Morgan Hall, who averaged 13.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last year. Sophomore guard Dawn Cressman was second on the team at 10.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. The Catamounts finished the 1999-2000 season with a 25-6 overall record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. They posted a 15-3 record in the America East to win the conference championship. In exhibition play, Vermont defeated the Concordia National Team 88-31 and lost to the Netherlands 55-54.
Lafayette
Lafayette posted a 7-22 record last year and went 4-8 in the Patriot League. The Leopards are led by sophomore center Jennifer Bayer, who averaged 12.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game last season. Sophomore forward Elizabeth Rojahn finished second on the team at 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
OLE MISS SUCCESSFUL IN REGULAR SEASON TOURNAMENTS
Ole Miss owns a 103-26 record in regular season tournaments. The Lady Rebels have won 34 tournament titles, including last year's Montana State Gran Tree Inn Classic. In that tournament, Ole Miss downed Bowling Green 80-63 and then defeated Montana State 69-60 to capture the title.
SEASON OPENERS
The Lady Rebels have compiled an impressive record in season openers in the history of the program. They are 22-4 in season-opening games.
MYATT NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-SEC TEAM
Senior guard Becky Myatt was named to the 2000-01 preseason All-SEC second team. The team was voted on by the media members attending SEC Media Days Nov. 1-2 in Birmingham. Myatt is one of six guards on either the first or second team. Myatt averaged 9.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last year. She ranked among the top five in the SEC in three-pointers per game.
COULD IT BE ANOTHER GRAND PLAYER?
Senior guard Becky Myatt needs 157 points to become the 19th Lady Rebel to score 1,000 points in a career. She enters the season with 843 points.
THREE-POINT RECORD IN JEOPARDY
Regan Seybert is the all-time leader in three-pointers with 194, a record she set in 1997. But, that record is about to fall as senior Becky Myatt needs only 26 threes to become the career three-pointer leader. Myatt enters the season with 169 three-pointers.
STREAK STILL ALIVE
The Lady Rebels look to continue their streak of consecutive games with at least one three-pointer. The Lady Rebels have hit at least one three-pointer in 176 games. The NCAA record for consecutive games with at least one three-pointer is 211 held by Tennessee Tech.
TRAVELING WITH THE LADY REBELS
The Lady Rebels are one of the most well-traveled teams in the nation, having visited 32 states including Washington, D.C., and Aruba and Puerto Rico. This year, the Lady Rebels will visit Vermont for the first time and will also travel to California for the Beach Classic.
LADY REBELS RECEIVE VOTES IN USA TODAY/ESPN TOP 25 POLL
Ole Miss received eight votes in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll. The Lady Rebels are among the ?others receiving votes?. They did not receive any votes in the AP Top 25 poll.
ANOTHER TOUGH SCHEDULE
Two years ago, the Lady Rebels had the 10th toughest schedule in the nation and last year's ranked right up there in the top 25. This year's schedule features 14 teams that made postseason play, including eight NCAA tournament teams. Highlighting the schedule are trips to NCAA participant Vermont Nov. 17-18 and WNIT participant Long Beach State in December. Six SEC teams are ranked in the AP Top 25 and the USA Today/ESPN Top 25.
OLE MISS AMONG TOP 20 IN STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE The WBCA/Summerville RPI has produced a preseason strength of schedule for the 2000-01 season and Ole Miss is ranked 16th. The 2000-01 Division I women's basketball strength of schedule was derived from the combined 1999-00 records of the individual schools 2000-01 schedules. The Lady Rebels have had one of the toughest schedules in the nation the last three years.
IMPRESSIVE OUTSIDE THE SEC
The Lady Rebels have compiled an impressive record outside the Southeastern Conference in regular-season play since 1990. Ole Miss owns a 121-28 record (.812 winning percentage) versus non-conference teams since 1990. The Lady Rebels' best non-conference record since came during the 1991-92 SEC Championship season, as they compiled a 15-1 mark versus non-conference foes. The Lady Rebels have an overall 41-9 record (.820 winning percentage) versus non-conference opponents on this year's schedule.
STARTING AT GUARD
Senior guard Becky Myatt has started 87 consecutive games since her freshman year. In addition, Myatt has led the team in minutes played averaging nearly 33 minutes per game.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
Ole Miss will appear on television twice this year. FoxSportsNetSouth will televise the Lady Rebels' game against Auburn on Feb. 18 in Tad Smith Coliseum. College Sports Southeast will tape delay the game at Mississippi State on Feb. 1.
INJURIES
Sophomore center Shayla Day is out for two weeks. The New Madrid, Mo., native is having problems with her feet.
TIP-INS
Senior Stephanie Murphy graduated last year and is taking graduate courses...She is also serving as a minister at Providence Methodist Church... Murphy gave her first sermon on Oct. 15...Chandra Dorsey, a Criminal Justice major, interned this summer with the University Police Department ...Takela Corbitt attended the NCAA Leadership conference this summer...Happy November birthdays to Tiffany Gray (4th), Coach Aldy (9th), Sherika Wright (22nd) and Stephanie Murphy (28th).
