The University of Mississippi Athletics
Late Run Carries MSU Over Ole Miss 69-64
1/11/2009 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. Mississippi State held Ole Miss without a field goal for the final 9:39 to erase a 16-point deficit en route to a 69-64 victory over the Rebels Sunday afternoon from Humphrey Coliseum.
Rebel senior Shawn Goff put Ole Miss ahead by that 16-point margin following an offensive rebound off a missed jumper from Kayla Melson. Goff controlled the offensive board and fought her way through traffic to sink a layup and draw a foul.
From that point on, however, Mississippi State used a 25-4 run over the final 9:07 on its way to its first SEC victory of the season. Lady Bulldog junior Alexis Rack scored 17 points during the run which included three 3-pointers. Rack finished the game with 19 points after scoring just two in the first half.
Rebel junior guard Bianca Thomas led all scorers as she finished with a career-high 25 points on nine made field goals. Thomas also hit seven 3-pointers to tie the school record for most three-pointers made in a single game. Both Becky Myatt and Regan Seybert accomplished the feat during their Ole Miss careers.
Goff finished with 12 points to go along with three blocked shots, while freshman Kayla Holloway paced the Rebels with seven rebounds.
MSU forward Robin Porter recorded a double-double as she finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Armelie Lumanu added 15 points, while Chanel Mokango scored 10 points to go along with nine blocked shots.
Ole Miss and Mississippi State traded baskets over the first 2:39 of the opening half before Mississippi State took its only lead of the half at the 16:54 mark as Mokango hit a jumper in the lane to put the Lady Bulldogs ahead 8-6.
Thomas immediately answered on the other end with her first three-pointer of the afternoon to put Ole Miss ahead 9-8. Thomas' shot ignited a 15-0 run as Ole Miss opened up a 21-8 lead with just over 12 minutes on the clock. MSU used a 7-0 run to get within six points, but Ole Miss scored two straight baskets to thwart the run and push its lead back to double digits.
MSU fought to within five points with just over 4:16 left in the first half, but Thomas scored eight straight points for Ole Miss to help the Rebels extend their lead to 36-23 minutes before halftime. The Lady Bulldogs closed the half on an 8-2 run to head into halftime trailing by seven points.
Ole Miss began the second half on fire and used an 11-0 run over the first 2:14 to open up its largest lead of the game at 49-31. Goff converted two free throws on Ole Miss' first possession before Thomas nailed three straight three-pointers to force Mississippi State into a timeout.
The Rebels held a double digit lead for most of the second half until Rack hit her second three-pointer of the period to trim the Ole Miss lead to seven points at 61-54.
Ole Miss returns to action Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. when the Rebels welcome Alabama to Tad Smith Coliseum.
