Rebels Take On Louisiana-Lafayette Wednesday

GAME 3: Ole Miss (2-0) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (0-1)
Wednesday 11.19.08 | 7 p.m. CT
Lafayette, La. | Earl K. Long Gym (1,121)

MEDIA
Live Radio: Listen Online through RebelVision (Gary Darby, play-by-play)
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com

OXFORD, Miss. On the heels of an impressive Winthrop Hilton Garden Inn Classic Tournament championship over the weekend, the Ole Miss women’s basketball team looks to make it three in a row to open the season Wednesday evening when the Rebels travel to Louisiana-Lafayette for a 7 p.m. matchup from Earl K. Long Gym.

The Rebels boast a 2-0 overall record after knocking off both North Carolina A&T and Davidson to claim Ole Miss’ first in-season tournament title since the 2004-05 season. In the opening game, the Rebels used a strong second half performance to erase a seven-point North Carolina A&T halftime lead en route to an 80-64 triumph. Junior Bianca Thomas led the way for Ole Miss as she scored a team-high 14 points, including 13 in the second half.

Ole Miss went on to post a 55-50 win over Davidson in the championship game of the tournament to secure the title. Thomas again played a huge role for the Rebels as she scored a team-high 16 points on her way to earning tournament MVP plaudits. Fellow guard Shantell Black, who registered a pair of double digit performances, was also named to the all-tournament team.

Thomas currently leads the team with 15.0 points per game, while Black averages a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per game.

Louisiana-Lafayette will be playing just its second game of the season Wednesday when it welcomes Ole Miss to campus. The Ragin’ Cajuns enter the contest with an 0-1 record after falling 51-39 at Texas Southern Friday night. Alexis Green leads the team in scoring after collecting 11 points against Texas Southern, while Mercedes Johnson paces the team with 10.0 rebounds per game.

Ole Miss and Louisiana-Lafayette will be squaring off for just the third time in the all-time series between the two schools. The Rebels hold a 2-0 edge in the series following last year’s 86-60 win in Oxford. Ole Miss also won 75-69 during the 1989-90 season. In addition, the Rebels own a 55-15 all-time record against schools from the Sun Belt Conference.

Last year’s victory in Oxford gave Rebel second-year head coach Renee Ladner her first career victory. Also in last year’s game with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Ole Miss guards Black and Kayla Melson each registered 10 assists to become only the third duo in school history to collect 10 or more assists in the same game.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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