The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
4-2
McNeese State
1-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| McNeese State | 22 | 50 | 72 |
| Ole Miss | 42 | 43 | 85 |
Lady Rebels Run Past McNeese State 85-72
12/1/2003 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2003
Box Score
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss (4-2) used solid defensive pressure and a season-high 20 points from Ashley Johnson to down the McNeese State Cowgirls, 85-72, in front of a rowdy crowd of 1,963 elementary school students on "School Day."
Armintie Price, who was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week earlier in the day, notched her fourth straight double-double to help Ole Miss post the win. Price, a 5-9 freshman from Blue Mountain, Miss., recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds in only 23 minutes of action. Amber Watts added 15 points and nine rebounds in the win over McNeese State (1-3).
Ole Miss shot 44.6 percent from the floor, the best shooting performance of the season for the Lady Rebels.
"It was a great environment today, and the school children brought a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement to the arena," Ross said. "We didn't play as well as we should have and could have, but at the end of the day it's a win. We're trying to get better every time we take the court."
The Lady Rebels came out of the gates gunning and never looked back, building a 20-point lead at halftime behind the play of Price. The Blue Mountain, Miss., paced the squad with 13 points and 12 rebounds at the break, putting the Lady Rebels up 42-22.
In the second half, it was Johnson who put the team on her back, notching 16 of her 20 points, including nine straight for the Lady Rebels over a 2:47 span to keep Ole Miss ahead, despite a run from the Cowgirls halfway through the period. McNeese State would cut the lead to nine at 52-43, but would get no closer thanks in large part to Johnson's run.
The Lady Rebels came up with 14 steals for the game as junior Carletta Brown and Watts both came up with four takeaways, tying career-highs. Brown also dished out a career-high eight assists as she directed the Ole Miss offense for most of the day.
McNeese saw five players notch double digits on the afternoon, as Regina Spivey led the way with 15 points. Clarissa Clark recorded 13 points, while Valencia LeBlanc and Shamecka Bender both added 11 points. Taylor Morrell chipped in 10 points before fouling out at the 2:51 mark in the second half.
Ole Miss will return to action on Friday, Dec. 6, when the Lady Rebels hit the road to take on Chattanooga. Tip-off will be at 6 p.m.(CT).
