The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Take On Lady Tigers In SEC Quarterfinals
3/2/2007 | Women's Basketball
Today's Game
The Rebels will face #10/11 LSU in Friday's quarterfinal round of the 2007 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament ... The winner of the Ole Miss-Alabama match-up will take on the winner between No. 1 seed Tennessee and No. 8 seed South Carolina on Saturday at 5:45 p.m. (CST) ... The Rebels defeated the Lady Tigers, 77-74, in their previous meeting this season ... LSU leads the all-time series 21-19, including an 3-0 advantage in games played in the SEC Tournament ... Ole Miss set two SEC Tournament records in their opening round win over Alabama ... Ole Miss forced 42 Crimson Tide turnovers and collected 25 steals, both all-time highs in SEC Tournament history.
About Ole Miss
Ole Miss is 21-9 overall and finished with a 9-5 mark in SEC play ... Ole Miss knocked off Alabama, 78-49 in their SEC Tournament opener on Thursday ... The Rebels won their opening round tournamen game for the fourth-straight year, but are searching for their first quarterfinal win under head coach Carol Ross when they take on LSU Friday ... Ole Miss reached the 20-win mark for the first time under head coach Carol Ross and the first time since going 21-8 during the 1994-95 season ... Ole Miss has forced 152 turnovers in their last five games for an average of 30.4 per outing ... The Rebels rank third in the NCAA with 13.8 steals a game ... Ole Miss senior Ashley Awkward needs just nine points for 900 in her career, while fellow senior Armintie Price needs 18 rebounds to move into second place on the Ole Miss all-time rebounding chart.
Scouting LSU
The Lady Tigers enter Friday's contest with a 26-4 overall mark and finished SEC regular season play with a 10-4 ledger.
All-American center Sylvia Fowles leads LSU in scoring with 17.4 points per game and in rebounding with an SEC best 12.7 caroms per contest. Fowles also leads the Lady Tigers with 1.7 blocks a game.
Quianna Chaney is the other LSU player in double digits with 12.4 tallies per game. Chaney also dishes 2.4 assists per game and pulls down 2.7 rebounds. Erica White leads the team in assists with 4.3 and steals with 2.0, while also averaging 7.7 points an outing.
The Lady Tigers are one of the top defensive teams in the NCAA, only giving up 49.3 points per game. They also hold their opponents to just 32.5 percent shooting from the field.
LSU head coach Pokey Chatman is 88-13 in her third season with the Lady Tigers. Her overall coaching mark is the same.
Ross Versus LSU
Ole Miss head coach Carol Ross owns a 9-9 mark against LSU as a coach, including a 1-5 record since becoming the head coach at Ole Miss. As a player at Ole Miss, Ross went 3-1 versus the Lady Tigers while wearing the Red and Blue.
The Series
Today's game will be the 41st meeting between Ole Miss and LSU, with the Lady Tigers leading the series 21-19. The Rebels are 0-3 versus LSU in the SEC Tournament. The following is the series history:
Ole Miss-LSU Ties
LSU assistant coach Christie Sides was a two-year letterwinner at Ole Miss before transferring to Louisiana Tech. Sides, who lettered at Ole Miss in 1996 and 1997, left Ole Miss after two solid campaigns where she posted 499 points in the Lady Rebel uniform.
Ole Miss head coach Carol Ross and LSU head coach Pokey Chatman both spent the summer working with USA Basketball teams. Ross was an assistant with the U19 World Championship team who won the gold medal in Tunisia. Chatman was an assistant coach with the gold medal winning World University Games team. Ole Miss junior guard Armintie Price was an alternate for the World University Games team, while LSU players Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles were on the 12-member squad.
Ole Miss athletic trainer Heather Landry is a 2001 graduate of LSU. Landry is in her second year as an assistant athletic trainer in the Ole Miss athletic department. She also spent two years at Ole Miss as a graduate assistant athletic trainer and worked with women's basketball.
Mint Condition
Ole Miss senior guard Armintie Price became just the fifth player in NCAA history to post 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 assists and 300 steals in a career with 18 points versus Mississippi State on February 18. Price currently has 2,043 points, 1,159 rebounds, 397 assists and 387 steals. She joins Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and Sophia Young.
Ole Miss In The SEC Tournament
The Lady Rebels are 22-27 in SEC Tournament games, including an 0-3 mark against their quarterfinal foe, LSU. Ole Miss has never won an SEC Tournament title. The following is their SEC Tournament record against each school in the conference:
School Record
Alabama 4-1
Arkansas 2-1
Auburn 3-4
Florida 0-0
Georgia 3-6
Kentucky 1-1
LSU 0-3
Mississippi State 5-1
Tennessee 1-4
South Carolina 3-1
Vanderbilt 0-5
Totals 22-27
Working Overtime
The Rebels must be considered one of the blue collar teams around the NCAA. They are a hard-working team that doesn't mind dabbling in overtime. The Rebels have played in nine overtime periods this season, which is the most in the NCAA. Ole Miss has played in a triple overtime outing and two double-overtime games. Ole Miss has won three extra sessions, lost two and tied in four. Ole Miss is 3-2 in games decided in extra periods, and have won three-straight.
Ross-Led Rebels Hit 20
Ole Miss reached the 20-win mark for the first time under head coach Carol Ross and the first time since going 21-8 during the 1994-95 season. The nine SEC wins are also the most under Ross at Ole Miss and the most for the program since the 1991-92 team went undefeated in league play and took home the regular season title. The 20 wins marks the eighth time a Ross-coached team has reached the mark in her 16 seasons as a head coach, as she led seven Florida squads to 20 or more wins
Ashley--Not So--Awkward
Ole Miss senior guard Ashley Awkward has thrived for the Rebel offense since opening Southeastern Conference play. Awkward has posted double figures in the last 15 games, averaging 16.0 points over the span, which ranks fifth in the conference in SEC games only. She has led Ole Miss in scoring in five of the last 11 games.
Grand Theft
Senior guard Armintie Price recently became the NCAA leader in steals per game at 3.8. Price has tallied 115 steals in 30 games so far this season and has ranked in the NCAA's top 10 in the category from the start of the season. Price assumed the top spot last week. She had six steals in her last outing versus Alabama. Price picked up five or more steals in nine games this season, including a career-best and Ole Miss single game record 12 thefts against Illinois.
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.
Round And Round She Goes
Rebel senior guard Armintie Price is not only one of the most well-rounded players in the SEC, but in the NCAA. Price is one of three players to lead her team in all four major statistical categories, joining Evansville's Rebekah Parker and Middle Tennessee's Chrissy Givens. Price is the Ole Miss leader in scoring (18.3), rebounding (9.0), assists (4.8) and steals (3.8). She ranks in the top five in the SEC in each of those four categories and is the only player in the conference to do so. She also ranks in the top 50 in the NCAA in all four categories, including ranking No. 1 in steals.
Price Takes Home SEC Honor
On Monday, Feb. 5, Armintie Price nabbed her fourth SEC Player of the Week honor of the season, marking her ninth overall selection for the award. The four honors this season ties Tennessee sophomore Candace Parker for the most honors this season, while the nine selections are the most by individual in the history of the SEC.
Rebels Starting At The Top
Facing a brutal schedule to open conference play, Ole Miss has managed to put together its best conference record since going undefeated in SEC play during the 1991-92 season. The Rebels have picked up road wins at Auburn, Kentucky, Florida, Mississippi State and Arkansas and home victories over #10/11 Vanderbilt, #5/6 LSU, Alabama and South Carolina against just five losses.
Rebels Add LaKendra Phillips
The Ole Miss women's basketball team added depth to an already promising backcourt announcing on Jan. 18 that LaKendra Phillips of Florida has transferred to join the Rebels. Phillips, who must sit out a year per NCAA transfer rules, will be eligible for competition following the completion of the Fall 2007 semester.
Phillips, a 5-9 guard, played in 12 games for the Gators before leaving at the end of the semester. She averaged 3.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game, while logging nine minutes per outing. She notched a career-best 10 points versus North Florida, connecting on 3-of-4 shots from the field in the win. She pulled down a career-best four rebounds against South Alabama. Prior to her semester with the Gators, Phillips earned four letters at Ridgeway High School in Memphis where she was coached for three years by Lisa Moore and one year by Tonya Currie. During her four-year career with the Roadrunners, Phillips tallied 2,222 points, 1,355 rebounds, 242 steals and 184 assists while shooting a steady 75.5 percent from the free throw line. She was named 2006 Class AAA Tennessee Miss Basketball, presented by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA), helping Ridgeway to a 35-3 record and the state quarterfinals as a senior. Phillips was named to the 'Class AAA Best of the Preps' in 2005 and 2006 by the Commercial Appeal. She also picked up 2006 TSWA AAA State first team honors, 2006 TSSAA District 15 AAA Player of the Year, All District and All-Regionals MVP during her time at Ridgeway.
Triple A' At Your Service
The Ole Miss guard trio of Ashley (Awkward), Alliesha (Easley) and Armintie (Price) have provided the Rebels will a steady dose on the offensive end of the court. The trio are the top three scorers for the Rebels and keep opponents on their toes with their balanced attack. Over the last 15 games, each one of the three has taken their turn leading the Rebels in scoring.
Easley Heats Up
Ole Miss freshman guard Alliesha Easley is making her presence felt on the court. Easley, who has started all 30 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 18-of-30 games this season. She ranks third on the team in scoring with 11.0 points per game and is the third leading freshman scorer in SEC play with 11.6 points per game.
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 489 times themselves, Ole Miss has forced their opponents into 748 turnovers on the season, for an average of 24.9 blunders per game by their opponents. Ole Miss' tunover margin of +8.6 is the highest in the SEC. The Rebels have forced 152 turnovers in their last five games combined and have caused 30 or more by their opponents on six occasions this season.
Awkward Takes Care Of Business
Rebel senior guard Ashley Awkward had a standout game in Ole Miss' 76-57 win over South Carolina. The 5-6 Memphis native tallied 22 points, just one shy of her career high, after making 4-of-5 shots from beyond the arc. Her four made treys were also a career best. Awkward also hit all four of her foul shots and canned a first-half buzzer beater from long range in the game's most exciting play. Awkward has scored in double figures in the last 15 games.
Back In Black
Rebel freshman guard Shantell Black has found her way into the Ole Miss line-up by playing suffocating defense. Black, who head coach Carol Ross refers to as a water bug', has made her presence felt by harrassing opposing point guards and making it difficult for them to run their respective offensive sets. Black has been credited for 43 steals on the season, but she has been instrumental in forcing many others.
Thomas Tosses It In
Rebel freshman guard Bianca Thomas found her stroke in Ole Miss' last several games. Thomas turned in an SEC game career-best 17 points versus Alabama, while knocking down 7-of-11 shots, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. Thomas was just one shy of her career high of 18 points she set versus Nicholls State in the Rebels final non-conference game. Thomas then had 10 points versus #3/3 Tennessee, while making 4-of-6 shots from the field, including 2-of-3 triples. She hit 1-of-3 from beyond the arc in helping Ole Miss defeat Mississippi State.
Putting Up The Points
The Rebels have been scoring at an alarming pace as they are averaging 78.1 points per game this season, which ranks eighth in the NCAA. Ole Miss topped the century mark with their 104-63 win over Central Arkansas. The Rebels have also managed to score in the 90s in five games, including a 99-point performance at UAB and versus Fordham. Three players are averaging double figures with Armintie Price leading the way with 18.3 points per game, along with Ashley Awkward (12.2) and Alliesha Easley (11.0.)
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 20 in the SEC in rebouding, while five 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 and sophomore forward Brandi Tipton pulled down 10 versus Nicholls State. Ole Miss is averaging 44.1 rebounds per game through 30 games.
Mincy Makes Her Mark
Ole Miss senior forward Jada Mincy has been all over the boards as she ranks second on the team averaging 7.5 caroms per contest. Mincy has posted double digits in rebounding in 10 games this season. She pulled down a career-best 15 rebounds in Ole Miss' win over Florida, including eight on the offensive end. Mincy's 7.5 boards are eighth best in the SEC.
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. Recently, she was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 List. Price has also been named to the Naismith Award Preseason list, Senior CLASS Award and the Wade Watch. The 5-9 guard was also 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 30 games the Rebels have picked up 413 steals with all 14 players recording at least three steals. The Rebels rank third in the NCAA with 13.8 steals per game. Senior Armintie Price leads the way with 115 pilfers, which ranks her first 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 58 steals and tied her career-high with six at UAB. Sophomore Shawn Goff, senior Jada Mincy and freshmen Shantell Black and Alliesha Easley, are also at 30+ with 45, 44, 43 and 39 steals, respectively.
Bartee From The Bench
Rebel junior guard-forward Carla Bartee has become a reliable sixth woman Ole Miss can count on. Bartee, who averages 13.4 minutes per game is averaging 5.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. She scored a seasons best 14 points in the Rebels win over Mississippi State, while also collecting six boards and two steals. The 6-1 Waynesboro native can play in the post or on the perimeter for the Rebels. Bartee has also been critical in two of Ole Miss' overtime wins. She scored 10 points in the overtime period versus Kentucky and had eight points in the second overtime period versus Arkansas, leading the Rebels to wins in both games.
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 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 kept Ole Miss in the game in the first period with nine of her 13 boards.
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).
