The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Down Memphis 84-63 For Fourth Straight Win
11/21/2008 | Women's Basketball
With the win, Ole Miss improves to 32-3 all-time in season home openers, and has now beaten rival Memphis 17 straight times at Tad Smith Coliseum.
Sophomore guard Alliesha Easley scored a team-high 15 points to go along with five rebounds and four steals. Junior Katorra Lewis finished with 13 points and didn’t miss a shot the entire game. The Clinton, Miss., native was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, including 1-for-1 from three-point range, and was also 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Junior guard Bianca Thomas also registered double figures as she finished with 12 points, while fellow junior Elizabeth Robertson added 10 points and was 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Point guard Shantell Black, who led the SEC in assists a season ago, tied her career-high as she finished with 10 helpers to go along with four rebounds and two steals.
“I thought we came out and played hard and with a lot of intensity,” Ole Miss head coach Renee Lander said. “I thought we turned the ball over way too many times, but it was nice to be back home and get a win in front of our fans.”
Memphis guard Paris Leonard scored a game-high 24 points, while fellow guard Ramses Lonlack added 11 points and was the only other Tiger in double figures.
Ole Miss (4-0) sprinted out to a 10-0 lead in the first four minutes and never looked back. Easley started the game with a three-pointer from the corner and Robertson capped the run with a triple of her own.
The Rebels continued to build their lead and would extend their advantage to as many as 25 points in the first half. In fact, Ole Miss held Memphis under 10 points until the 3:10 mark of the first half. The Tigers managed to shoot just 20 percent from the field and were 0-for-8 from three-point range.
Offensively, Ole Miss shot 50.8 percent from the field and was 47.1 percent from the three-point line. Five different Rebels hit at least one three-pointer, including Kayla Melson’s first career triple.
Ole Miss returns to action Monday night at 7 p.m. when the Rebels welcome Alcorn State to Tad Smith Coliseum.
