The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Knock Off #10/11 Vanderbilt 76-66
1/7/2007 | Women's Basketball
All five starters scored in double figures for the Rebels with senior guard Armintie Price leading the way with 21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Price’s first steal of the game made her the Ole Miss career record holder for steals as she passed her head coach Carol Ross, who previously held the record with 333 in her Rebel career. Price now has 336 steals in her career.
“I am extremely proud of my team,” said Ole Miss head coach Carol Ross. “We played with tremendous effort and intensity and just willed ourselves to this win. It was a total team effort and that is what makes this win so special.”
Freshman guard Alliesha Easley opened up the scoring knocking down two-straight jumpers to give Ole Miss an early four point lead. Lauren Lueders got the Commodores on the board with consecutive three-point baskets giving Vanderbilt a 6-4 lead just over three minutes into action.
A steal by Price led to a lay-up by senior guard Ashley Awkward knotting the score at six. The two teams traded baskets before the Rebel defense and rebounding pushed the lead to 28-17 with just under five minutes left in the opening period.
A jumper by Price gave Ole Miss its largest lead of the game at 34-20 with 1:01 to play in the opening period. Liz Sherwood cashed in a lay-up for the Commodores with time running out to trim the half time lead to 34-22.
The Commodores went on a run of their own to open the second half. An 8-1 run was capped by another lay-up by Sherwood and cut the Rebel lead to just five points at 35-30 with 18:31 to play in the game.
After an Ole Miss time out, the Rebels regrouped, with Price and Easley knocking down baskets to push the lead quickly back out to nine points. Vanderbilt did not go away as the Commodores made 5-of-12 shots from beyond the arc in the second half, but every shot was matched by a basket by the Rebels to keep the Commodores at a distance.
Caroline Williams drilled a three with 1:28 remaining in the game to cut the lead down to six points at 67-61, but Price made 4-of-4 shots from the foul line and Awkward and senior forward Jada Mincy were a combined 3-of-4 to seal the win for the Rebels.
Easley dropped in 14 points and added a career-best seven boards, while Forrest added 12 points and four boards of her own. Awkward tallied 13 points and dished three assists and Mincy collected 10 points and seven caroms in the contest.
Ole Miss made 44.1 percent of its shots from the field, making 30-of-68 in all. The Rebels connected on 16-of-23 from the foul line and added 14 assists and nine steals.
Vanderbilt was led by Williams’ 19 points, while Carla Thomas finished with 18 and Christina Wirth added 12 points. Dee Davis dished nine assists, while Williams and Thomas each finished with five boards.
Ole Miss will return to the hardwood on Thursday, Jan. 11, when they play host to #6/6 LSU. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. in Tad Smith Coliseum.
