The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Host Illinois Saturday On Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day
11/30/2006 | Women's Basketball
Today's Game
Ole Miss will Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. as the two teams meet for the first time on the hardwood ... The game will mark Rebel head coach Carol Ross' 100th game as the Ole Miss mentor ... Ole Miss enters the game with a 5-2 mark after picking up the second place trophy at last week's Junkanoo Jam in Freeport, Bahamas ... The Rebels fell to top-ranked and defending National Champion Maryland in the finals ... Illinois enters Saturday's game with a 6-1 mark ... The Illini have won three-straight ... Saturday's game is Faculty-Staff Appreciation Day and any Ole Miss faculty or staff member receives four free tickets by showing their Ole Miss ID at the ticket gate.
About Ole Miss
The Rebels are looking to get back in the win column after suffering their second set back of the season with a 110-79 loss at the hands of No.1-ranked Maryland in the finals of the 2006 Junkanoo Jam ... Sophomore center Shawn Goff earned All-Tournament Team honors for the first time in her Rebel career after compiling 26 points, 20 rebounds, five steals and four blocks in the two games ... Freshman guard Shantell Black had a break-out game versus the Terrapins with a career-high 13 points, four steals and four assists in 25 minutes of play ... Fellow freshman guard Alliesha Easley had a solid tournament with 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals ... Senior guard Armintie Price needs just six steals to reach 300 in her career ... She is just two steals shy of third place on the Ole Miss career chart for steals trailing Glenda Springfield who has 296.
Scouting Illinois
The Fighting Illini are off to a 6-1 mark to start the 2006-07 season. Illinois has put up two three-game win streaks sandwiched around its lone loss of the season, a 69-63 set-back to Northern Illinois.
Sophomore guard Lori Bjork has been on fire the last two games, hitting 14-of-26 from the field and 6-of-15 from three-point land to total 46 points. She scored a team season-high 25 points at Saint Louis on Wednesday to go along with a career-high six assists.
Danyel Crutcher lead U of I in rebounding with 6.9 rebounds per game, however Jenna Smith and Lacey Simpson are not far behind with 6.4 and 6.3 caroms per contest, respectively.
Illinois leads the Big Ten in total three pointers made with 43 and ranks second in three-point field goal percentage at .384. The Illini have made more than twice as many treys as Ole Miss (43-21).
The Series
Today's game will mark the first game in the history of the programs.
Ole Miss vs. The Big Ten
Ole Miss is 9-2 (.818 winning percentage) versus schools currently in the Big Ten Conference, but will be taking on Illinois for the first time in program history. Ole Miss head coach Carol Ross is 5-8 (.385 winning percentage) against schools from the Big Ten, including a 1-2 mark versus the Illini. The following is a list of schools from the league that Ole Miss has played and its record against those schools.
Team Record
Indiana 2-0
Northwestern 1-0
Ohio State 2-0
Penn State 2-1
Purdue 1-0
Wisconsin 1-1
Total 9-2
Ole Miss-Illinois Ties
There are not any players on the Ole Miss roster from the state of Illinois and likewise, there are not any Fighting Illini who call the Magnolia state home. Ole Miss recently defeated Northwestern 61-58 in the Junkanoo Jam, while Illinois will take on the Wildcats in the Big 10 portion of its schedule.
Impressive Outside The SEC
The Rebels have compiled an impressive record outside the Southeastern Conference in regular-season play. Ole Miss owns a 186-48 record (.795 winning percentage) versus non-conference opponents since 1990. The 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. Ole Miss posted a 10-3 record against non-conference opponents during the 2005-06 regular season.
Mint Condition
Ole Miss senior guard Armintie Price is on pace to become just the fifth player in NCAA history to post 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 steals and 300 assists in a career. Price enters the today's game with 1,611 points, 933 rebounds, 294 steals and 275 assists through her first 98 games. If she makes the club, she will join Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and Sophia Young.
Putting Up The Points
The Rebels have been scoring at an alarming pace as they are averaging 85.0 points per game through the first seven games of the season. Ole Miss has yet to top the century mark in the four games, but has managed to score in the 90s in four of its seven games, including a 99-point performance at UAB. Four players are averaging double figures with senior guard Armintie Price leading the way with 16.6 points per game. She is joined by sophomore center Shawn Goff (12.0), senior guard Ashley Awkward (10.1) and freshman guard Alliesha Easley (10.0) in double figures. The Rebel bench is chipping in 41.9 points per game to help the effort.
Easley Heats Up
Ole Miss freshman guard Alliesha Easley has turned her game up a notch over the last few games. Easley, who has started all seven contests for the Rebels, turned in a career-best 24 points in Ole Miss' double-overtime loss at Rice. She then followed that up with a 13-point performance in the Rebels 94-49 win over Rhode Island two days later and had 15 points versus defending National Champion Maryland in her last outing. With her latest scoring explosion, Easley has upped her season average to 10.0 points per game. She is one of four Rebels to average double-figures on the season.
Goff Named To Junkanoo Jam Team
Rebel sophomore center Shawn Goff picked up all-tournament honors for the first time in her Ole Miss career at the 2006 Junkanoo Jam after leading the Rebels with 26 points, 20 rebounds, five steals and four blocks in the two-game tournament. Goff led Ole Miss versus Maryland by tying a career-high with 18 points.
Price On Watch Lists
Ole Miss senior guard Armintie Price is being recognized by nearly all of the national awards as they open their watch lists for the 2006-07 season. Price has been named to the Wade Watch as well as the Wooden Award Preseason list. The 5-9 guard was recently recognized by ESPN.com as one of the top five two guards in the NCAA and was selected by GBallMag.com as a preseason Second Team All-America. Price was unanimously voted to the preseason First Team All-SEC by the league coaches and was also selected for the same team a panel of media at the 2006 SEC Media Days. She was also honored as a preseason All-America and First Team All-SEC by Basketball Times.
Goff Fills It Up
Rebel sophomore center Shawn Goff came off the bench to post 18 points and 19 rebounds in Ole Miss' double overtime loss to Rice. Goff, who played a career-best 41 minutes, posted 13 of her rebounds and 12 of her points in the second half and overtime periods. She was instrumental in helping the Rebels erase a 12-point second half deficit and force the Owls into the exteded periods of play. She also finished with three steals, two assists and a block in the game.
Double Dee
Ole Miss junior forward Danetra Forrest was instrumental in Ole Miss' victory over UAB, recording her third career double-double with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Forrest scored 10 of her points in the second period helping gain the Rebels some much needed breathing room down the stretch of their win over the Blazers. She helped keep Ole Miss in the game in the first period with nine of her 13 boards coming in the first frame.
Easley Gets The Nod
Ole Miss freshman Alliesha Easley got her named called among the starters in the Rebels' season opener versus Southeastern Louisiana. Easley was the first Ole Miss true freshman to start the season since Armintie Price started her game in the 2003-04 season-opener. Easley and Price are the only two freshmen to start at Ole Miss under head coach Carol Ross.
Rebounding Rebels
Despite a slow start, Ole Miss eventually out-rebounded Rice 62-58 in their double-overtime loss to the Owls. The 62 rebounds were the most collected by an Ole Miss team since they pulled down 69 versus Grambling State on Dec. 16, 2004. Two Rebels have posted double figures in rebounds this season with sophomore Shawn Goff picking up a career-best 19 versus Rice and 12 in the opener versus Southeastern Louisiana. Junior Danetra Forrest tallied 13 at UAB. Ole Miss is averaging 49.0 rebounds per game through seven games.
SEC Showing Power Early
The SEC boasts three of the top 10 teams in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll released on Nov. 6. The league boasts No. 4 Tennessee, No. 8 Georgia and No. 9 LSU. Vanderbilt (14) and Kentucky (24) are the other SEC team currently ranked, with Ole Miss, South Carolina and Florida each receiving votes. Other teams on the Rebel 2006-07 schedule in the rankings include: Maryland (1) and Rutgers (18), while Penn State is also receiving votes.
Masters of Thievery
In Ole Miss' first seven games the Rebels have picked up 98 steals with all 13 players recording at least one steal. Senior Armintie Price leads the way with 22 pilfers, while senior Ashley Awkward has picked up 21. Awkward tied a career-high with six at UAB, while Price also picked up six at Rice and versus Northwestern. Sophomore Shawn Goff and senior Jada Mincy are also in double figures with 13 and 10 steals, respectively.
Three-Peat
During the 2005-06 season, the Rebels made their third-straight postseason appearance. The Rebels advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and 2005 and participated in the WNIT in 2006. Ole Miss is tied for 17th in the country in NCAA Tournament appearances with 16 and picked up its first postseason win under head coach Carol Ross with a 78-76 win over Kansas in the first round of the 2006 WNIT.
Fab Five
Five fabulous freshmen joined the Rebel program for the 2006-07 season, with each having gained championship experience at the high school level before heading off to Ole Miss. Shantell Black (Lawrenceville, Ga.), Alliesha Easley (Cordova, Tenn.), Daphnee Frieson (Mobile, Ala.), Elizabeth Robertson (Vestavia, Ala.) and Bianca Thomas (Henderson, Tenn.) each joined the Rebels in July and are prepared to make an impact as Ole Miss makes a run at its fourth-straight postseason appearance.
Price Featured On ESPN.com
Ole Miss senior guard Armintie Price is currently featured on www.ESPN.com on the women's college basketball page. Price is listed as one of the top five two-guards in the NCAA as noted by the website's women's college basketball analysts.
Mechelle Voepel, Nancy Lieberman, Beth Mowins and Melanie Jackson compiled a list of the top five players at each position, ranking Price the top player at the two-guard spot. She is joined on the list by junior Matee Ajavon (Rutgers), junior Candice Wiggins (Stanford), senior Shay Doron (Maryland) and senior Cori Chambers (Georgia).
Rebel Guards Preview
Senior Ashley Awkward is back to guide the team as the veteran of a deep group of point guards. The Memphis native started 25 games as a junior turning in a career-best 9.7 points per outing, while also collecting 85 assists and 37 steals on the season.
Awkward will be joined at the point position by junior Tasi Worsham and freshman Shantell Black. With Worsham you get a powerful point guard, one who is physical and aggressive in taking the ball to the basket. Black is more of a water bug' point guard who arrives at Ole Miss from the highly touted Collins Hill High School out of Georgia.
A good battle is brewing for playing time at the two-guard position where incoming freshmen Alliesha Easley and Bianca Thomas will vie for playing time with returning juniors Carla Bartee and Lindsay Roy.
While Easley is quick and explosive with the ball in her hands, Thomas arrives at Ole Miss with the reputation of being a big-time' scorer.
Bartee showed signs of being able to pour in the points in her inaugural season with the Rebels after transferring from Western Kentucky. The 6-1 guard-forward averaged 9.6 points per game last season as Ole Miss' sixth woman. While mostly playing in the power forward position as a sophomore, Bartee connected on 51 three-point baskets and also pulled down 3.6 boards per game.
Roy is another player who can shoot the ball, but along with Bartee, Ross is looking for improvements from her in other aspects of her game.
There will be no competition for the three-guard position as the Preseason All-American Armintie Price has it wrapped up. The Wade Trophy Player of the Year candidate led Ole Miss in scoring (17.7), rebounding (9.6), steals (3.4) and assists (3.4) as a junior, one of only three players in the NCAA to lead her team in those four categories. Price is currently on pace to become just the fifth player in NCAA history to record over 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 steals and 300 assists in a career.
Freshman Elizabeth Robertson will be asked to provide some depth behind Price. Robertson, a 5-10 guard out of Alabama, is a good outside shooter who can spread the defense with her ability to hit the long- range jumper. Rebounding will be the key to Robertson getting minutes behind Price according to Ross.
Rebel Forwards Preview
Senior Jada Mincy will team with junior Danetra (Dee) Forrest to provide a hard-nosed one-two punch at the power forward position.
While Mincy has a stronger face-up game and can hit the mid-range jumper, Forrest is a little more physical down inside to provide a perfect skill set to keep opponents on their toes.
Rebel Centers Preview
The center position is another position that is the deepest in Ross' tenure with the Rebels. Sophomore Shawn Goff came on strong late in her freshman season to provide an inside presence. Goff started the final six games of the 2005-06 season and averaged 7.0 points and 9.0 boards per game in the WNIT.
Ross felt like the Rebels were lacking in height down low so the coaching staff made a concerted effort to get bigger. In doing so they brought in highly touted 6-foot-5 Daphnee Frieson out of Mobile, Ala.
Joining Goff and Frieson in the middle will be sophomore Brandi Tipton. A skilled player with the ball in her hands, Ross likes the versatility Tipton provides in the post.
Up Next
The Rebels will take a week off from action to complete final exams. They will return to the court to take on Penn State on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. in Tad Smith Coliseum.
