The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Travel To Memphis Friday To Face Tigers
12/17/2009 | Women's Basketball
Ole Miss (6-4) vs. Memphis (4-4)
Friday 12.18.09 | 7:00 p.m. CT
Memphis, Tenn. | Elma Roane Fieldhouse (2,565)
MEDIA
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Radio: RebelVision (Gary Darby, play-by-play; Alliesha Easley, analyst)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Ole Miss women's basketball team looks to snap a three-game losing streak Friday night when the Rebels travel to Memphis, Tenn., to take on the Tigers at 7 p.m. from the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
Ole Miss (6-4) enters the weekend coming off a heartbreaking 64-58 loss Wednesday night at No. 17 Texas. The Rebels led 49-42 with just under eight minutes remaining, but the Longhorns closed the game on a 22-9 run en route to the victory.
Senior guard Shantell Black led the Rebels with 15 points and three assists, while All-SEC guard Bianca Thomas finished with 13 points and three 3-pointers. Senior forward Katorra Lewis added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds and Kayla Melson chipped in with nine points.
Thomas continues to pace the team and lead the Southeastern Conference with 22.8 points per game to go along with a team-leading 6.1 rebounds per game. She also leads the conference and ranks second in the nation with 4.1 three-pointers per game and has hit at least three treys in nine of the 10 games this season.
Melson is second on the team with 12.0 points per game and also ranks first in the SEC with 6.5 assists per game. Fellow guard Shantell Black also scores in double-figures and pours in 10.6 points per game. Black is second on the team and third in the SEC with 4.9 assists per game.
Memphis (4-4) enters Friday's game with Ole Miss having lost two of its last three games. The Tigers posted their fourth win of the season Dec. 9 at South Alabama to snap a two-game losing streak and pick up their third road win of the year. The Tigers have only won one game at home this season.
Individually, Georgia transfer Brittany Carter leads the Memphis offensive attack with 21.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. Carter is the only Tiger that scores in double-figures.
Ole Miss owns a commanding 31-12 lead in the all-time series with Memphis that dates back to the 1974-75 season. The Rebels have won three straight in the series and six of the last seven meetings, which included a 84-63 win last season in Oxford. The Rebels have not lost to Memphis since falling 69-63 to the Tigers on Nov. 29, 2003 in Memphis. In addition, the series is tied 11-11 in games played in Memphis.
Ole Miss has enjoyed a great deal of success against Conference USA and owns an all-time record of 67-23 against the league. The Rebels have won four straight games against Conference USA foes and have not lost to the league since falling 92-91 in double overtime on Nov. 19, 2006 at Rice. Rebel head coach Renee Ladner has never lost to a team from Conference USA.
