The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Travels To Alabama
1/17/2001 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2001
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Ole Miss (12-3, 0-2) heads to Tuscaloosa, Ala., Thursday in search of their first conference win of the year as they face the Alabama Crimson Tide (13-3, 1-2). Game time is 7:00 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum.
GAME #16
OLE MISS (12-3, 0-2) vs. Alabama (13-3, 1-2)
DATE: Jan. 18, 2000
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
SITE: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
RADIO: WTNM 105.5 FM
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 1999 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.
LADY REBELS ON SUPERTALK MISSISSIPPI 105.5 FM
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".
RON ALDY COACHES SHOW
The third edition of the "Ron Aldy Coaches Show" kicks off this week. The show will air in Oxford Tuesday's at 6 p.m. on local cable channel 12. The weekly half-hour show will include player features, game analysis from coach and highlights from each game.
LADY REBELS KNOCK OUT BELMONT IN OVERTIME
Ole Miss outscored Belmont 14-2 in overtime to defeat the Bruins 74-62 Tuesday night at Tad Smith Coliseum. Please see page 2 for boxscore and recap.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
Alabama comes into the game with a 13-3 overall record, 1-2 in the SEC. They are coming off an 82-67 loss to South Carolina at home. The Crimson Tide's lone conference win was a 60-53 victory against Auburn. Alabama is led by junior guard Shondra Johnson, who is averaging 14.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. She is the only starter in double figures for the Crimson Tide. Beth Vice is averaging 10.4 points per game off the bench. Senior forward Joni Crenshaw leads the team in rebounding at 6.8 boards per game. The Crimson Tide are averaging just 65.2 points per game, but are also only allowing opponents 59.8 points per game. Alabama is shooting 41.8 percent from the floor, and just 65.0 percent from the charity stripe.
SERIES RECORD
This will be the 35th meeting between the two schools. Ole Miss leads the series 22-12, but they have lost five in a row. The Lady Rebels' last win in the series was a 65-55 victory during the 1995-96 season in Oxford. Their last win in Tuscaloosa happened 10 years ago on Feb. 6, 1991, when they defeated the Crimson Tide 78-72. Please see a recap and boxscore from the last meeting on page 5.
COMMON OPPONENTS
Ole Miss and Alabama have played one common opponent outside of the SEC. The Crimson Tide defeated Belmont 70-67 at Belmont, and the Lady Rebels defeated Belmont 74-62 Tuesday night in Oxford.
OLE MISS VS. ALABAMA SCHOOLS
Ole Miss has a 49-35 record (.583 winning percentage) versus schools from the state of Alabama, and own a winning record in eight of the series. The following is a list of the schools from Alabama that Ole Miss has played and their records against those schools.
LADY REBELS ONE OF WINNINGEST TEAMS IN SEC
Since the Southeastern Conference began regular-season play in the 1981-82 season, the Lady Rebels have posted a winning record in conference play in 11 of 19 years. The Lady Rebels are one of four teams to have won 100 conference games. Tennessee, Georgia and Auburn are the other three SEC schools which have won 100 conference games. The Lady Rebels have 102 conference wins.
JACKSON RECORDS FIRST CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Junior Saundra Jackson recorded her first career double-double in the win over Belmont, with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
JACKSON HAS CAREER NIGHT ON THE BOARDS
Saundra Jackson had a career night on the boards against Belmont, grabbing a career-best 14 re-bounds including nine offensive rebounds.
DISHING IT OUT
Junior Sherika Wright dished out a career-high eight assists in the win over Belmont to go along with her 14 points. Her previous best was seven three times. She is averaging 4.6 assists per game, and has eight games with at least five assists.
EXTRA TIME
With Tuesday's win over Belmont, the Lady Rebels improved to 9-10 overall in overtime games and 5-1 in overtime games at home. Tuesday's overtime game was the first since a 62-61 overtime win against Missouri-Kansas City on Dec. 19, 1998. The Lady Rebel's last home overtime game was a 1991-92 win (80-78) against Tennessee.
MYATT SETS THREE-POINT RECORD
With 15:48 to go in the first half of the Tennessee Tech game, Becky Myatt hit her 195th career three-pointer, becoming the all-time leader. She passed Regan Seybert who had 194 from 1994-97. Myatt hit her 200th career three-pointer in the Vanderbilt game and has 203.
WHAT'S THIS? A NEW LINEUP
With three consecutive losses, head coach Ron Aldy decided to shake up the starting lineup a bit. For 12 of the first 14 games, he had started Sherika Wright, Becky Myatt, Saundra Jackson, TaShondrea Moton and Von Kirk. In Tuesday's game, he started Sherika Wright, Becky Myatt, Tywanna Inmon, Stephanie Murphy and TaShondrea Moton.
ANOTHER GRAND PLAYER?
Becky Myatt accomplished two milestones against Tennessee Tech. She scored 17 points to become the 19th Lady Rebel to score 1,000 points in a career. She currently has 1,032 points and ranks 18th on the all-time list. She needs 71 points to pass Kristen Goehring for 17th place.
MYATT FROM DOWNTOWN
Becky Myatt has scored at least one three-pointer in 44 of the last 49 games dating back to the Mississippi State game on Feb. 11 of 1999. She has hit a three-pointer in 10 consecutive games since the Southeastern Louisiana game. She had four three-pointers in the win over Murray State three against Indiana and four versus Tennessee Tech.
MYATT DISHES OUT 300TH ASSIST
Becky Myatt tallied three assists in the win over Belmont to record her 300th career assist. She has 302 career assists.
MORE MILESTONES FOR MYATT
Becky Myatt needs 11 rebounds to reach 400 for her career. She has 389 rebounds and is averaging 4.7 per game this year. She notched a career-best 10 rebounds against Arkansas State and has five games with at least seven rebounds.
MYATT AND DOUBLE DIGITS
Becky Myatt's string of eight straight games with double digits ended in the loss to Mississippi State as she only had seven points. She has scored in double digits in nine of the last 10 games. She has 53 career double-digit games.
STARTING AT GUARD
Becky Myatt marked another accomplishment in her outstanding career in the Vanderbilt game. In front of her home state, and family and friends, Myatt started her 100th consecutive career game and has now started 102 career games. In addition, Myatt has led the team in minutes played averaging nearly 33 minutes per game.
WHOA, THE SHOOTING
The Lady Rebels had their worst shooting performance of the season against Tennessee Tech, finishing at 33.3 percent on 21-of-63 from the floor. The Lady Rebels shot under 40 percent for just the third time all year in the Vanderbilt game, as they finished at 37.3 percent. Still the Lady Rebels are shooting 42.5 percent for the year, much better than the 36.5 percent from last year.
HOW DID THE START RANK?
The Lady Rebels 11-0 start to the season, was the best start since the 1988-89 season, when Ole Miss started the season 13-0 before losing at Tennessee, 68-61. The Lady Rebels went on to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight that year.
CONSECUTIVE VICTORIES
Where does the 11-game winning streak rank in Ole Miss history. The Lady Rebels' 11-game winning streak to start the season, ties for the third best in the history of the program. The 1991-92 team won 25 consecutive games and the 1984-85 team won 24 straight. This year's streak tied the 1975-76 and 1982-83 teams.
STREAK COMES TO AN END
With their loss to Tennessee Tech, Ole Miss ended a streak that saw them win 14 consecutive non-conference games at Tad Smith Coliseum dating back to Nov. 22, 1998. Their last home non-conference loss prior to Tennessee Tech, was against Clemson on Nov. 16, 1998.
LADY REBELS MAKE THE GRADE
Several Lady Rebels were impressive in the classroom last fall, making one of the three University Honor Rolls. Kim Ufford made the Chancellor's Honor. Becky Myatt made the Dean's Honor Roll. Takela Corbitt, Tenisha Gist, Leah Henley, Tywanna Inmon and TaShondrea Moton made the UMAA Honor Roll. All four of the managers made one of the honor rolls as well. Emily Brawner and Tiffany Gray made the Chancellor's Honor Roll, Amanda Walker made the Dean's Honor Roll and Brittany Aldy made the UMAA Honor Roll.
MOTON ON THE GLASS
Junior TaShondrea Moton has been a force on the boards for the Lady Rebels this year as she leads the team in rebounding at 5.0 per game. She tied her career-high with nine rebounds in the win over Northern Arizona. She had nine against Montana State last year. She pulled down eight against Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas State this year.
TRIPLE DOUBLE
The Lady Rebels have had three players score in double digits in 11 of the first 15 games. They are 10-1 when at least three players score in double digits and 2-2 when less than three players record double digits.
SPREADING IT AROUND
The Lady Rebels are more balanced this year and have more depth. Just look at the minutes per game. Through their first 15 games, 10 players are averaging double-digit minutes, including freshman Tywanna Inmon, who is averaging 19.1 minutes per game.
TAKIN' IT TO THE HOLE
The Lady Rebels are taking the ball to the hole more often this year than they have in the past. In the first 15 games, the Lady Rebels have attempted 331 free throws, well over half of the 459 they attempted during the 1999-2000 season.
DISHING IT OUT
Junior guard Sherika Wright has proven she can score, but she can dish it out as well. Wright notched a career-best eight assists against Belmont. She had seven against Murray State, Arkansas State and Tennessee Tech, five against Southeastern Louisiana and six versus Middle Tennessee. Wright has eight games with at least five assists and is among the league leaders with 4.6 per game.
OOPS
In their first 15 games, the Lady Rebels have forced their opponents into an average of 20.1 turnovers per game. Last year, their opponents averaged 18.4 turnovers per game.
TAKE IT AWAY
In their first 15 games, the Lady Rebels are averaging 9.9 steals per game. They only averaged 7.5 last year. Against Southeastern Louisiana, the Lady Rebels recorded a season-best 23 steals. Ole Miss ranks sixth in the SEC in steals per game.
DEFENSE GETS THE JOB DONE
Lady Rebel head coach Ron Aldy said that he wanted his team to be more agressive defensively this year, and they are doing something right. The Lady Rebels are outscoring their opponents by a margin of 12.8 points per game. Ole Miss is averaging 72.3 points per game, while its opponents are netting 59.5.
LOOKING FOR THREES
Last year the Lady Rebels averaged a league-leading 7.25 three-pointers per game. Through the first 15 games of this season, the Lady Rebels are only averaging 5.2 threes per game. Senior guard Becky Myatt has nearly half of the Lady Rebels' three-pointers as she is averaging 2.2 treys per game.
STREAK STILL ALIVE
Ole Miss hit five three-pointers in the win over Belmont. They have now hit at least one three-pointer in 189 consecutive games. The NCAA record for consecutive games with at least one three-pointer is held by Louisville, who has hit a three-pointer in 279 straight games since 1991.
POINTS PER GAME
Through 15 games, Ole Miss is averaging 7.4 points per game more than last year. The Lady Rebels averaged 64.9 points per game last year and are averaging 72.3 this year.
BETTER PERCENTAGE = MORE POINTS
The Lady Rebels are shooting 42.5 percent from the floor through the first 15 games of the season. Last year they shot just 36.5 percent.
LADY REBELS LIKE CHARITY
The Lady Rebels have been taking advantage of charity this season through the first 15 games. The Lady Rebels are averaging 68.9, up 8.3 points from last year's percentage of 60.6.
OLE MISS IN THE SEC
In the latest SEC stats, Ole Miss is ranked eighth in the SEC in scoring at 72.3 points per game. Vanderbilt leads the conference in scoring with 85.6 points per game. Ole Miss is sixth in scoring margin at +12.7 points per game. They rank fourth in scoring defense at 59.6 points per game and third in three-point field goal percentage defense at 27.3 percent. The Lady Rebels also rank fifth in three-point field goals with 5.20 and sixth in steals with 9.93 per game.
LADY REBELS AMONG SEC LEADERS
Senior Becky Myatt is among the SEC leaders in scoring, three-point field goals, three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. She is third in three-pointers made per game, sixth in 3-pt field goal percentage and eighth in free throw percentage. Junior Sherika Wright ranks sixth in assists.
LADY REBELS RECEIVING VOTES IN COACHES POLL
Ole Miss received six votes in the in the USA Today /ESPN Coaches poll released Monday, and no votes in the AP Poll. Six SEC teams are ranked in both polls.
OLE MISS SUCCESSFUL IN REGULAR SEASON TOURNAMENTS
With their Beach Classic title, the Lady Rebels have won 36 regular season tournament titles. Ole Miss now owns a 108-26 record in regular season tournaments. The Lady Rebels defeated Wichita State 68-62 in the first round of the Beach Classic and then rallied to beat Indiana 69-67 for the title. They Lady Rebels also won the Vermont Howard Bank Classic in November. They downed Radford University 91-62 in the first round and then defeated Vermont 85-75 in the championship game.
MVP AGAIN
Senior guard Becky Myatt scored 20 points including two key three-pointers in the final seconds against Indiana, to earn Most Valuable Player of the Beach Classic. This marked the second such honor for Myatt this season, as she also earned MVP status at the Vermont Howard Bank Classic.
MYATT ON ALL-TOURNEY TEAMS
Becky Myatt's selection to the All-Tournament team of the Beach Classic makes it four in a row. She was named to both the Montana State Gran Tree Inn Classic All-Tournament Team and the Northern Arizona Hilton Garden Inn Classic All-Tournament Team last year.
SHERIKA ENJOYED THE BEACH TOO
Junior college transfer Sherika Wright had a good time at the Beach Classic as well, scoring 27 points and eight assists in two games to make the All-Tournament team. She scored 12 of her 14 points against Indiana in the second half to help ignite the Lady Rebel comeback.
MYATT HITS CAREER MARK
Becky Myatt grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds in the win over Arkansas State. Her previous high was eight against Auburn in 1998.
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 40 IN STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
In the latest WBCA/Summerville RPI for the 2000-01 season released Jan. 5, Ole Miss is ranked 36th. The Lady Rebels have had one of the toughest schedules in the nation the last three years.
TRAVELING WITH THE LADY REBELS
The Lady Rebels are one of the most well-traveled teams in the nation, having visited 33 states including Washington, D.C., and Aruba and Puerto Rico. This year, the Lady Rebels visited Vermont for the first time and traveled to Long Beach Calif, for the Beach Classic.
LADY REBELS GOLDEN IN WIN OVER TIGERS
The Lady Rebels 50-point margin against West Alabama, tied for the ninth widest margin of victory in the history of the program. Ole Miss defeated Montevallo 100-50 on Dec. 3, 1977.
OLE MISS WINS VERMONT HOWARD BANK CLASSIC
The Lady Rebels, behind the stellar guard play of Becky Myatt Von Kirk, and Sherika Wright, captured the Vermont Howard Bank Classic in Burlington, Vt. Myatt scored 23 points including two key three-pointers at the end of the game to lead the Lady Rebels to an 85-75 win over Vermont in the championship game. She also had seven rebounds to earn tournament MVP honors. Kirk, who tallied 17 points was also named to the All-Tournament team. Wright scored in double digits both nights with 20 and 16 points respectively. Ole Miss downed Radford University in the first round 91-62.
MYATT GARNERS SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Senior guard Becky Myatt was rewarded again, for her outstanding play in the Vermont Howard Bank Classic by being named the SEC Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 20. Myatt averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. She sank two crucial three-pointers with just over four minutes remaining in the championship game to seal the title for the Lady Rebels. Myatt is the ninth Lady Rebel to be named SEC Player of the Week and the first since Tarsha Bethley earned the honor in November of 1998.
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.
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 132-48 record (.733 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 52-9 record (.852 winning percentage) versus non-conference opponents on this year's schedule.
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 show the game at Mississippi State on Feb. 1 tape delayed.
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.
