The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Face UT-Arlington In DoubleTree Classic
12/22/2006 | Women's Basketball
Today's Game
Ole Miss will take on Texas-Arlington in the opening round of action at the 2006 Tulane DoubleTree Classic on Friday, Dec. 29, at 5 p.m. in Fogelman Arena ... The Rebels lead the all-time series 3-0 ... Ole Miss is 1-1 in neutral site contests this season ... The Rebels have won two-straight games entering the match-up with wins at home versus Central Arkansas and Miami ... The Mavericks are 2-2 in neutral court games and have only played three games on their home court this season ... Ole Miss senior guard Armintie Price enters the tournament needing just seven steals to move in second place on the Rebel all-time steals chart.
About Ole Miss
Ole Miss is searching for its 10th win of the season and its second neutral court win when it takes on Texas-Arlington on Friday ... The Rebels defeated Miami 82-64 in their last outing on Dec. 21 ... Four players are averaging double figures on the season for Ole Miss led by senior guard Armintie Price with 19.9 points ... Price also leads the team in assists (55) and steals (50) while she is tied for the team lead in rebounding with 7.9 caroms per contest ... Fellow senior Jada Mincy also grabs 7.9 boards, while sophomore Shawn Goff pulls down 7.6 rebounds and adds 10.6 points off the bench ... Freshman Alliesha Easley is second in scoring with 12.4 tallies and senior Ashley Awkward chips in 10.0 ... Price is the only player in the SEC to rank in the top 10 in each of the four major statistical categories ... She leads the conference in scoring and steals and is fifth in assists.
Scouting Texas-Arlington
The Mavericks enter Friday's game with a 4-7 overall mark, including a 2-2 record in neutral court contests having played in the Montana State-Wingate Classic and the Cancun Carribbean Classic.
UTA is led on the season by Terra Wallace's 15.9 points per game. Wallace also leads the Mavericks in assists with 53, steals with 26 and three-point baskets made with 19. Ashley Bobb leads UTA in rebounding with 6.9 and adds 8.0 points per outing.
The Mavericks shoot 34.7 percent from the field, while averaging 58.2 points per game. UTA has cashed in on 60 three-point baskets on the season.
UTA head coach Donna Capps is 99-87 in her seventh season with the Mavericks. Her overall coaching record is the same.
The Series
Today's game will be the fourth meeting between Ole Miss and UT-Arlington, with the Rebels leading the series 3-0. The Rebels defeated the Mavericks, 77-51, on Nov. 24, 1989 in the opening round of the Dallas Hilton Inn Classic in the first meeting between the two schools. The Rebels then defeated UTA in both games of a home-and-home series played in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. The following is the Ole Miss-UTA series history:
Date Site Result
11-24-89 Dallas Ole Miss, 77-51
11-28-93 Arlington Ole Miss, 80-73
11-30-94 Oxford Ole Miss, 88-36
Ole Miss vs. The Southland Conference
Ole Miss is 40-4 (.909 winning percentage) versus schools currently in the Southland Conference, including a 3-0 mark against Central Arkansas. The following is a list of schools from the league that Ole Miss has played and its record vs. those schools.
Team Record
Central Arkansas 2-0
Lamar 2-0
Louisiana-Monroe 12-2
McNeese State 5-0
Nicholls State 1-0
Southeastern Louisiana 10-0
Texas State 1-0
Stephen F. Austin 4-2
Texas-Arlington 3-0
Total 40-4
Ole Miss-UTA Ties
Ole Miss does not field and players from the state of Texas and likewise, there are not any Mavericks from the Magnolia state as all players on the UTA roster hail from the state of Texas.
The two teams also do not share any common opponents.
Easley Nabs SEC Freshman of the Week Honors
Ole Miss freshman guard Alliesha Easley was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday, Dec. 11 following Sunday's Rebel win over Penn State where she led the team in scoring with 15 points. Easley, who has led Ole Miss in scoring twice on the season, made 6-of-14 shots from the field and also added two rebounds, two assists and two steals. She drew three charges during the game and helped Ole Miss hold the Lady Lions to two field goals during the first 13 minutes of the game. Easley has now scored in double figures in five of nine games on the season and ranks second on the team in scoring with 12.2 points per game. Easley is the second player to be honored by the SEC this season as senior guard Armintie Price picked up SEC Player of the Week honors. She is also the first Rebel to be named SEC Freshman of the Week since the awards inception last season.
Price Named SEC Player of the Week
Ole Miss senior Armintie Price picked up SEC Player of the Week honors for the first time this season and the sixth time in her career on Monday, Dec. 3. Price recorded her first career triple-double in leading the Rebels to a 75-50 win over Illinois in her only action that week. She had 34 points, 15 rebounds and 12 steals in the win. Her 34 points tied a career-high as she also scored 34 points in a win over UAB this season. Her 34 points effort marked the second time this season and fifth time in her career she has eclipsed the 30-point level. Her 12 steals set a new personal best and also set a new Ole Miss single game mark for steals breaking head coach Carol Ross' 11 steals effort during the 1979-80 season. Price's 15 rebounds were a season-high and marked the 47th time in her career she has recorded 10 or more boards in a game.
Impressive Outside The SEC
The Rebels have compiled an impressive record outside the Southeastern Conference in regular-season play. Ole Miss owns a 190-49 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 today's game with 1,734 points, 984 rebounds, 322 steals and 307 assists through her first 103 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 83.8 points per game through the first 12 games of the season, which ranks third in the NCAA. Ole Miss finally topped the century mark with their 104-63 win over Central Arkansas in their last outing. The Rebels have also managed to score in the 90s in four games, including a 99-point performance at UAB. Four players are averaging double figures with senior guard Armintie Price leading the way with 19.9 points per game. She is joined by freshman guard Alliesha Easley with 12.4 points per outing, sophomore center Shawn Goff turns in 10.6 points, while senior guard Ashley Awkward adds 10.0 tallies per game. The Rebel bench is chipping in 38.8 points per game to help the effort.
Anointing With Their Voices
A trio of Rebel basketball players formed a singing group two years ago and has been performing ever since. Senior Armintie Price and juniors Danetra Forrest and Carla Bartee formed the group The Anointed Voices, a primarily gospel singing group nearly two years ago. The trio has performed several times locally and was invited to be the featured entertainment at the 2006 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. The Anointed Voices performed in place of an opening prayer to a large round of applause. They are scheduled to sing the national anthem at a home game before the season is over.
Easley Heats Up
Ole Miss freshman guard Alliesha Easley is making her presence felt on the court. Easley, who has started all 12 contests for the Rebels, turned in a career-best 25 points in Ole Miss' 75-50 win over Illinois. She connected on 12-of-16 shots from the field, good for 75 percent. Easley also scored 24 points in a double-overtime loss to Rice and has scored in double figures in seven of 11 games this season. She ranks second on the team in scoring with 12.4 points per game and is the top freshman scorer in the SEC, ranking 14th overall.
Awkward Takes Care Of Business
Rebel senior guard Ashley Awkward is taking care of the ball just the way head coach Carol Ross likes from her point guards. Awkward has turned the ball over just 23 times in 304 minutes of play, while registering 31 assists and 30 steals in the same amount of time. With an assist-to-turnover ration of 1.35, Awkward is one of the top floor generals in the SEC.
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.
Making A Mess
The Rebel defense has had a penchant for forcing their opponents to turn the ball over. While only turning the ball over 182 times themselves, Ole Miss has forced their opponents into 315 turnovers on the season, for an average of 26.3 blunders per game by their opponents.
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 Naismith Award Preseason list, 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.
Masters of Thievery
In Ole Miss' first 12 games the Rebels have picked up 177 steals with all 14 players recording at least one steal. The Rebels rank sixth in the NCAA with 14.8 steals per game. Senior Armintie Price leads the way with 50 pilfers, which ranks her seventh in the NCAA. Price posted 12 steals in Ole Miss' win over Illinois, the top performance in the NCAA this season. Senior Ashley Awkward has picked up 30 steals and tied her career-high with six at UAB. Sophomore Shawn Goff, senior Jada Mincy and freshmen Alliesha Easley and Shantell Black are also in double figures with 20, 18, 15 and 12 steals, respectively.
Mincy Makes Her Mark
Ole Miss senior forward Jada Mincy has been all over the boards as she leads the team averaging 7.9 caroms per contest. Mincy has posted double digits in rebounding in five games this season, including three of her last four outings. She pulled down a career-best 15 rebounds in Ole Miss' win over Penn State, including 11 in the first half.
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. Three Rebels rank in the top 10 in the SEC in rebouding, while four Rebels have posted double figures in rebounds this season. Sophomore Shawn Goff picked up a career-best 19 versus Rice and 12 in the opener versus Southeastern Louisiana. Senior guard Armintie Price pulled down 15 caroms in Ole Miss' win over Illinois, and senior forward Jada Mincy grabbed 15 versus Penn State. Junior Danetra Forrest tallied 13 at UAB. Ole Miss is averaging 49.2 rebounds per game through 12 games.
Bartee From The Bench
Rebel junior guard-forward Carla Bartee has become a reliable sixth woman Ole Miss can count on. Bartee, who averages 14.9 minutes per game is averaging 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She scored a season-s best 12 points in the Rebels win over Central Arkansas, while also collected five rebounds, three assists and a block. The 6-1 Waynesboro native can play in the post or on the perimeter, allowing the Rebel coaches to play her at multiple positions.
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 name 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.
SEC Showing Power Early
The SEC boasts four of the top 15 teams in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll released on Dec. 4. The league boasts No. 5 Tennessee, No. 7 LSU, No. 11 Georgia and No. 12 Vanderbilt, while Arkansas has moved into the rankings at No. 24. Other teams on the Rebel 2006-07 schedule in the rankings include: Maryland (1).
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).
Up Next
The Rebels will return home to Oxford following the conclusion of the DoubleTree Classic to host Nicholls State on Jan. 2, at 7 p.m. The game versus Nicholls State will be Ole Miss' final nonconference game of the 2006-07 campaign.
