Lady Rebels Fall To Second-Ranked Tennessee

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) -- Shannon Bobbitt scored 14 points and Candace Parker had 13 as Tennessee continued its defensive prowess in the Southeastern Conference in a 68-44 win over Ole Miss on Thursday night.

Lady Rebel junior Shawn Goff led Ole Miss with a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double this season.  Goff added a season-high four steals to go along with one blocked shot in 38 minutes of action. 

Tennessee used a quick 15-0 run to jump to a 17-4 lead early in the first half, but stalled out with a flurry of poor passes in transition, missed shots and unforced turnovers.

The Lady Rebels held the Lady Vols without a field goal for the next 6 minutes, but were unable to capitalize, scoring just four points in that span.

Tennessee broke out of the slump with a 21-5 run to clinch the win.

It was the third straight poor start for the Lady Rebels.  Ole Miss scored 20 points in the first half of a 57-52 loss at Mississippi State and 12 points in an 83-50 loss at Vanderbilt.

Tennessee limited Ole Miss to 20.7 percent shooting in the first half. The Lady Vols held the Lady Rebels scoreless for 5:12 early in the half, then allowed just two field goals and five points over the final 11:37.

Meanwhile, Tennessee used 12 offensive rebounds for an 18-3 edge in second chance points and scored 12 off turnovers over the first 20 minutes.

Tennessee hasn't allowed more than 63 points in six SEC games and is giving up an average of 50 points per league contest.

"They're big, they're athletic and if you get past their first line of defense, they've got another one," Ole Miss coach Renee Ladner said.

The Lady Rebels were more spirited in the second half, but continue to struggle from behind the 3-point line. Eleventh in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC in 3-point shooting just two weeks ago, Ole Miss snapped a string of 36 missed long-range shots late in the second half, but finished 2-for-18.

Goff said the team must figure out what has gone wrong offensively.

"If that means coming into the gym for extra shooting, we're going to have to do that to get back on track," she said.

Part of Ole Miss' troubles Thursday were caused by Tennessee's pressure defense and rebounding. The Lady Vols held a 48-40 rebounding advantage and used 12 offensive rebounds in the first half for an 18-3 edge in second chance points. They also scored 12 off turnovers over the first 20 minutes.

Ole Miss returns to action Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. when the Lady Rebels host Alabama from Tad Smith Coliseum. 

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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