Lady Rebel Game Notes

Feb. 26, 2002

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Thursday, February 28, 2002
Time: 2:30 p.m. (CT)
Site: Nashville, Tenn, Gaylord Entertainment Center
Radio: WTNM Supertalk Mississippi 105.5 FM
Television: FOX Sports Net South

PROBABALE STARTING LINE-UPS
OLE MISS

No.	Player	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown	PPG	RPG	APG
10	Sherika Wright	5-6	Sr.	G	Augusta, Ga.	10.5	3.0	4.9
11	Carletta Brown	5-4	Fr.	G	Roxie, Miss.	7.4	1.6	1.9
32	Von Kirk	5-10	Sr.	F	Huntsville, Ala.	11.6	4.4	1.7
32	Amber Watts	6-3	Fr.	F	Utica, Miss.	5.3	4.9	0.2
44	Saundra Jackson	6-4	Sr.	C	Beaufort, S.C.	9.2	4.4	0.3

Arkansas

No.	Player	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown	PPG	RPG	APG
3	Amy Wright	5-7	Sr.	G	Williamsburg, Ind.	6.2	3.0	5.9
12	Kiesha Beard	6-3	Fr.	P	Houston, Texas	3.4	5.4	0.4
20	Shameka Christon	6-1	So.	F	Hot Springs, Ark.	15.2	6.1	0.8
22	Dana Cherry	5-8	Jr.	G	Pine Bluff, Ark.	13.0	4.8	2.3
52	Joy Oakley	6-0	Sr.	F	Hot Springs, Ark.	5.4	2.3	0.1

STATISTICAL COMPARISON

Ole Miss	Category	Arkansas
70.3	Points Per Game	71.8
69.4	Opp. Points Per Game	63.8
39.7	Field Goal Pct.	41.3
42.9	Opp. Field Goal Pct.	41.3
69.1	Free Throw Pct.	64.6
66.5	Opp. Free Throw Pct.	68.7
34.7	3-Point Field Goals	30.9
33.1	Opp. 3-Point Field Goals	33.1
39.8	Rebounds	35.5
39.0	Opp. Rebounds	40.0
13.6	Assists	12.9
18.6	Turnovers	14.5
3.0	Blocked Shots	4.1
9.8	Steals	10.8

LADY REBEL GAME NOTES
LADY REBELS OPEN SEC TOURNAMENT AGAINST ARKANSAS: The Lady Rebels (11-16, 3-11) will open SEC Tournament play against Arkansas (17-10, 7-7) on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 230 p.m. Ole Miss earned the 10th seed in the tournament, while the Lady Razorbacks enter as the seventh seed. Ole Miss knocked off Arkansas, 81-46 in their lone meeting this season. Sherika Wright led five Ole Miss players in double figures with 16 points.

ALDY IN FIFTH YEAR: Ron Aldy is in his fifth year (67-77 at Ole Miss, 146-117 all-time) at the helm of the Lady Rebel basketball program. After having achieved success on every level as either a head coach or an assistant coach, Aldy has used his knowledge and love of the game to bring the storied Ole Miss basketball program back to national prominence. He has dedicated himself to making Ole Miss a winner on and off the court. Aldy has guided the Lady Rebels to postseason play in two of his four seasons in Oxford. He led Ole Miss to a 17-13 overall record and a trip to the WNIT in 2000-01. Off the court, the Lady Rebels have made tremendous strides academically and in the community, as well. Ole Miss has placed six players on the SEC Academic Honor Roll in each of the last three seasons. Since Aldy came to Oxford, all of his outgoing seniors have received their bachelor's degrees with the exception of one, who will graduate in December. Aldy and his staff have seen to it that the Lady Rebels get involved in the Oxford community. The Ole Miss players have helped build a community playground, visited the elderly and participated in many other activities in the area.

LADY REBELS ON SUPERTALK MISSISSIPPI 105.5 FM: This season 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. Brad Daniels is in his first season as the "Voice of the Lady Rebels". Daniels currently serves as news and sports director at WQLJ-FM 93.7 in Oxford.

LADY REBELS CLOSE REGULAR SEASON WITH A LOSS AT USC: The Ole Miss women's basketball team trailed by only seven (34-27) at halftime against 10th-ranked South Carolina, but the Gamecocks used a huge run at the start of the second half to break open the game and go on for a 82-58 win. Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10) managed only 26 percent (18-of-69) from the floor for the game. Normally averaging over 35 percent per game behind the arc, the Lady Rebels hit only 6-of-28 for 21.4 percent. The Lady Rebels finished 16-of-21 from the charity stripe for 76.2 percent. Freshman Carletta Brown led Ole Miss with 16 points including three three-pointers. Senior Von Kirk added 12 points and dished out four assists, while freshman Ally Kelly chipped in 11 points. Tywanna Inmon grabbed 10 rebounds, as the Lady Rebels out-rebounded the Gamecocks 49-34. South Carolina (22-5, 10-4) was led by Shaunzinski Gortman, who scored a game-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS: The Lady Razorbacks started the SEC portion of their schedule 1-5, including their 81-46 loss at Ole Miss, but regrouped and finished conference play with a 7-7 mark. Arkansas has three double-figure scoreres led by sophomore Shameka Christon's 15.2 points. Christon also leads the team in rebounds with 6.1 boards per game. Juniors India Lewis and Dana Cherry add 14.0 points and 13.0 points, respectively. Senior guard Amy Wright dishes out 5.9 assists per game.

SERIES RECORD: This will be the 17th meeting between the two schools. Ole Miss defeated the Lady Razorbacks, 81-46, in Oxford Jan. 6. Ole Miss head coach Ron Aldy is 4-1 versus Arkansas.

OLE MISS VS. ARKANSAS SCHOOLS: Ole Miss owns a 22-7 record (.759 winning percentage) versus schools from the state of Arkansas. The following is a list of the schools from Arkansas that Ole Miss has played and their records against those schools.

Team                    RecordArkansas                  12-4Arkansas-Little Rock       3-0Arkansas State             6-3Total                     22-7

OLE MISS-ARKANSAS TIES: Ole Miss fields three Arkansas natives on the 2001-02 squad. Juniors Leah Henley (Warren) and Kayla Madewell (Farmington) and sophomore Tywanna Inmon (West Memphis) all hail from Mississippi's neighbor to the west. Inmon teamed up with the Lady Razorbacks' Katrina Nesby at West Memphis High School. Arkansas does not field any native Mississippians.

COMMON OPPONENTS: Outside of the SEC schedule, Ole Miss and Arkansas did not share any common opponents during the 2001-02 season.

OLE MISS IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT: The Lady Rebels have compiled a 17-22 record (.436 winning percentage) in the 22 year history of the SEC Tournament. Ole Miss has never won the tournament and has made it to the championship game just two times.

OLE MISS IN SEC TOURNAMENT OPENERS: The Lady Rebels are 15-7 in SEC Tournament openers, including a, 75-68, win over South Carolina in the 2001 SEC Tournament first round. Ole Miss is 1-0 versus Arkansas in the SEC Tournament. The Lady Rebels defeated the Lady Backs, 76-73, in the first round of the 1995-96 SEC Tournament.

LADY REBELS DOING IT IN THE CLASSROOM: Ole Miss is making good marks in the classroom as well as the basketball court as seven Lady Rebels earned honor roll status. Freshman Ally Kelly made a perfect 4.0 grade point average in her first semester at Ole Miss, earning a spot on the Chancellor's Honor Roll (3.75-4.0). Sophomore Kim Ufford made the Dean's Honor Roll (3.50-3.74). Freshman Carletta Brown, sophomores Tenisha Gist and Tywanna Inmon and seniors Von Kirk and TaShondrea Moton each earned a place on the U.M.A.A. Honor Roll (3.00-3.49). In addition to the players making good grades, managers Brittany Aldy and Tiffany Gray each made the Chancellor's Honor Roll and medical redshirt Shayla Day earned U.M.A.A. honors.

SCHOLARS PART II: Five Lady Rebels were recently named to the 2002 SEC Academic Honor Roll. Current Lady Rebels Shayla Day, Von Kirk, TaShondrea Moton, along with former Lady Rebels Stephanie Murphy and Becky Myatt were all named to the team. Florida and Tennessee topped the list with six student athletes each, while Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt each had five honorees. The 2002 SEC Women's Basketball Academic Honor Roll is bas on grades from the 2000-01 academic calendar.

KIRK LIGHTS UP THE LADY VOLS: Ole Miss senior Von Kirk wanted the make the most of her final game at Tad Smith Coliseum, and boy did she. Kirk pinned a career high 30 points on the Lady Vols behind 6-of-12 shooting from the three-point line. Kirk started early, notching 17 points in the first half. She was more than just a scoring machine in the game versus Tennessee though, as she also grabbed a career high seven steals.

CAPTAIN KIRK: Ole Miss senior guard Von Kirk has provided an offensive punch for the Lady Rebels as of late. Kirk who was taken out of the starting line-up prior to the Lady Rebels' Jan. 20 game at Florida, has since taken her game to another level. Kirk has averaged 14.8 points and 4.7 rebounds during the last nine games. The 5-10 guard has also hit 26-of-58 three-pointers (44.8 percent) and 51-of-58 (87.9 percent) free throws during the stretch. Kirk has also averaged 3.0 steals per game.

DOWNTOWN CARLETTA BROWN: Ole Miss freshman guard Carletta Brown has been making opponents pay for backing off her. Brown has nailed 18 three-point shots over the last 10 games for Ole Miss and has 30 three-pointers on the season. Brown averages 7.4 points per game in just over 18 minutes of action on the season, but has upped her average to 10.9 points per game in since being inserted in the starting line-up against Florida on Jan. 20. The 5-4 Roxie, Miss., native has scored in double figures in nine games this season with a career-high 17 points versus Georgia on Jan. 24.

MORE FROM DOWNTOWN BROWN: Carletta Brown has really stepped up her intensity since being inserted into the starting line-up 10 games ago. Brown has averaged 10.9 points per game since becoming a starter compared to just 5.4 points in the first 17 games of the season. Brown has made 18-of-55 three-point shots during the eight-game stretch, good for 32.7 percent and has also dished out 24 assists. She has played an average of 25.8 minutes compared to 14.0 minutes as a non-starter.

CHARITABLE LADY REBELS: The Ole Miss guards are making the most of their opportunities at the free-throw line as they are making over 70 percent of their foul shots. Carletta Brown has hit 31-of-39 from the line for 79.5 percent and Leah Henley has made 6-of-8 from the line for 75.0 percent. Ally Kelly has hit 38-of-52 from the stripe for 73.1 percent and Von Kirk has made 82-of-95 from the charity stripe for 86.3 percent. Brown was 4-4 from the charity stripe in the closing minutes of Ole Miss' win over Auburn. Kirk hit 9-of-9 to seal the win over Kentucky and also knocked down 10-of-11 against Alabama.

THREE-POINT THREATS: The Lady Rebels are leading the SEC in three-point baskets made per game as they knock down 6.37 triples per game. Ole Miss has hit 172 three-point shots on the season. Von Kirk leads the charge with 54 threes. Freshmen Ally Kelly (47) and Carletta Brown (30) are next in line. Of the 13 players on the Lady Rebel roster, 10 have made a three-point basket this season and all but one have attempted atleast one three-point shot.

SPREADING THE WEALTH: The Lady Rebels are getting solid production from a number of players. Eight players are averaging more than five points per game. TaShondrea Moton (5.1), Amber Watts (5.3), Carletta Brown (7.4), Tywanna Inmon (6.1), Saundra Jackson (9.2), Von Kirk (11.6), Ally Kelly (9.9) and Sherika Wright (10.5) are all capable scorers, making it difficult for opposing defenses to know who to guard. Seven of the eight players have led the team in scoring.

LADY REBELS CAPTURE GRAN TREE THANKSGIVING CLASSIC TITLE: Ole Miss defeated Montana State, 66-59, and UW-Milwuakee, 74-57, to claim the 2001 Gran Tree Thanksgiving Classic title. The Lady Rebels used a balanced scoring attack in the tournament as five different players scored in double figures over the weekend. Senior Von Kirk was named MVP of the tournament and freshman Ally Kelly joined Kirk on the All-Tournament team. In addition to playing in the tournament, the Ole Miss team also took in the sights of the beautiful state of Montana. The Lady Rebels spent Thanksgiving Day at Big Sky ski resort.

OLE MISS SUCCESSFUL IN REGULAR SEASON TOURNAMENTS: Ole Miss owns a 111-28 record in regular season tournaments. The Lady Rebels have won 37 tournament titles, including the 2001 Gran Tree Thanksgiving Classic. The Lady Rebels defeated Montana State and UW-Milwaukee to claim the title last weekend.

KIRK FOR MVP: Senior Von Kirk was named Most Valuable Player of the Gran Tree Thanksgiving Classic last weekend. Kirk averaged 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals a game during the two-day tournament. The honor was Kirk's first MVP award of a regular-season tournament. It was her second time to earn All-Tournament honors, though as she was named to the Howard Bank Classic All-Tournament team last season.

KIRK MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Lady Rebel senior Von Kirk is moving up the Ole Miss charts in three-point shooting. Kirk, in just three years in Oxford, has made 141 three pointers, good for third-place on the career Lady Rebel chart. She hit four threes in the first half against Tennessee to pass Jackie Martin for the third place honor. Becky Myatt is on top of the chart with 232 three point baskets.

JACKSON TAKING IT TO THE BANK: Senior center Saundra Jackson is making good on most of her field goals this year. Jackson has made 101-of-187 shots from the field so far this season, good for 54.0 percent, which currently ranks fifth in the SEC. The Lady Rebel record for field goal percentage for a season is 60.4 percent by Eugenia Conner during the 1982-83 season. Jackson's current field goal percentage would rank fourth on the Ole Miss chart for field goal percentage for a season.

STARTERS ALL AROUND: Through 27 games this season, Ole Miss has used nine different starting lineups. The following are Ole Miss' starting lineups and the records they have produced:

Wright, Kirk, Moton, Inmon, Jackson     0-1Wright, Kelly, Henley, Inmon, Watts     1-0Wright, Kelly, Kirk, Inmon, Watts       4-2Wright, Kelly, Kirk, Moton, Watts       4-5Wright, Brown, Henley, Moton, Watts     0-3Brown, Kelly, Kirk, Moton, Inmon        1-1Brown, Kelly, Kirk, Moton, Jackson      1-1Wright, Brown, Kirk Moton, Jackson      0-2Wright, Brown, Kirk, Watts, Jackson     0-1

STREAK STILL ALIVE: Ole Miss made six threes in the loss to South Carolina. They have now hit at least one three-pointer in 231 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 302 straight games, dating back to 1991.

TAKE IT AWAY: The Lady Rebels recorded 28 steals against UALR on Nov. 27, led by freshman guard Ally Kelly's seven thefts. Five players recorded three or more steals in the contest and 12 of 13 players that played recorded at least one steal. The 28 steals ranks as the second best in a single game in Ole Miss history. The Lady Rebels have recorded 251 steals on the season, good for 10.0 per game which ranks fifth in the SEC. See page six for a boxscore from the game.

BLOCK PARTY: Lady Rebel freshman forward/center Amber Watts has quickly become a defensive force in the paint. Watts, who stands 6-3, has collected an impressive 50 blocks in her first 27 collegiate games. The Utica, Miss., native is ranked third in the SEC in blocked shots with 1.9 blocks per contest. Watts' 50 blocks currently rank her second on the Ole Miss freshman blocks chart behind Eugenia Conner, who recorded 55 blocks during the 1981-82 season. Watts' 50 blocks also rank as the fifth best on the Lady Rebel single season blocks chart.

DEPTH A PLENTY: Ole Miss has developed some quality depth as nine players are averaging double-digits in minutes. Sherika Wright leads the Lady Rebels with minutes per game, as she is on the floor 29.2 minutes per game. Von Kirk and Ally Kelly are close behind with 28.6 and 24.2 minutes per game respectively. TaShondrea Moton (21.9), Saundra Jackson (20.2), Amber Watts (18.8), Carletta Brown (18.4), Tywanna Inmon (17.5) and Tenisha Gist (11.2) all average more than 10 minutes per game.

IMPRESSIVE OUTSIDE THE SEC: The Lady Rebels have compiled an impressive record outside the Southeastern Conference in regular-season play. Ole Miss owns a 141-34 record (.806 winning percentage) versus non-conference opponents since 1990. The Lady Rebels' best non-conference record during that time 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 50-8 record (.862 winning percentage) versus the non-conference opponents on this year's slate.

DOWELL, MYATT JOIN LADY REBEL STAFF: During the offseason, Head Coach Ron Aldy added two people to the Lady Rebel staff. Kim Dowell joined the program as an assistant coach and Becky Myatt turned in her playing shoes for a clipboard as she is now a graduate administrative aide for Ole Miss. Dowell comes to Oxford from her alma mater, UT-Arlington, where she served as an assistant coach for the past five seasons. Myatt, who earned four letters under Aldy, is the Lady Rebel career leader in three-point field goals made and attemtped. She joined the 1,000 point club as a senior as she tallied 1,193 points during her Ole Miss career. Myatt's primary duties will be coordinating film exchange and maintaining correspondence with Alumni and Lady Rebel supporters.

TIP-INS:
* Ole Miss assistant coach Kim Rosamond celebrated her birthday in the month of February. Rosamond blew out her candles on Feb. 17.
* Lady Rebel freshman Carletta Brown is a native of Roxie, Miss., the same hometown of award-winning author Richard Wright.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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