The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
15-9,6-4
Auburn
19-5,7-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | 46 | 36 | 82 |
| Ole Miss | 32 | 38 | 70 |
No. 14-Ranked Auburn Shoots Past Lady Rebels, 82-70
2/12/2004 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2004
Box Score
OXFORD, Miss. -
Box Score
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Ole Miss took an early lead, but the one-two punch of Louise Emeagi and Le'Coe Willingham was too much in the end as Auburn (19-5, 7-3 SEC) defeated the Lady Rebels (15-9, 6-4 SEC) by a score of 82-70 on Thursday at Tad Smith Coliseum.
Emeagi led all scorers on the night with 21 points on 53 percent shooting from the floor, while Willingham added 20 points of her own. Natasha Brackett put in 13 points and Nicole Louden scored 10 points for the visiting Tigers.
Senior forward Tywanna Inmon led three Lady Rebels in double digits with 17 points on the night, while freshman forward Armintie Price added 12 points and junior center Amber Terrell chipped in 10 points.
"The best team won tonight, but unfortunately it wasn't us," said Ole Miss head coach Carol Ross. "They played with more excitement and enthusiasm. When you play a team like Auburn, you have to bring it. We have to find a way to get better at doing that."
Ole Miss jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead, but Auburn rallied behind the sharp shooting of Emeagi, who had 12 points in the first half, and the inside presence of Willingham who notched 11 of her 20 points to push Auburn out to a 46-32 halftime advantage.
"We weren't guarding her (Emeagi) like we needed to," said Ross. "We weren't responding quickly mentally or physically. If you don't play defense, you will get run over in this league."
The Lady Rebels came out fighting in the second half, cutting into the Auburn lead and forcing turnovers with an aggressive pressure defense. Ole Miss came up with 15 steals on the night to help stay in the game.
The Lady Rebels also looked to its bench for a spark as junior guard Elizabeth Cansdale came off-the-bench to score seven quick points in helping cut the lead to single digits. Auburn would fight back, responding with runs of its own to keep the lead.
AU, the NCAA leader in rebounding margin, continued its dominance on the board, out-rebounding the Lady Rebels by a 44-33 margin. Mandisa Stevenson recorded 11 rebounds to lead the Tigers. No Ole Miss player reached double digits in rebounds.
The Lady Rebels will look to put the game behind them as they return to the road in the Southeastern Conference over the weekend.
"In this league your last game means nothing, it's your next game that means everything," said Ross. "You play like you practice, and we'll be practicing hard tomorrow."
Ole Miss will face No. 17 Georgia in Athens on Sunday. The Lady Rebels claimed the first meeting with the Bulldogs, 90-78, in double overtime in Oxford earlier in the season. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. (CST) at Stegeman Coliseum.
