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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
6-3
Southeastern Louisiana
5-3
Women's Hoops Routs SELA, 85-51
12/11/2010 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2010
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss women's basketball team exploded for a season-high 85 points as the Rebels beat SELA 85-51 Saturday afternoon.
Pa'Sonna Hope recorded a career-high 20 points while Nikki Byrd added her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
With the win Ole Miss improved to 6-3 on the year while SELA fell to 5-3.
Ole Miss opened the game on a 10-2 run before SELA cut the Rebels' lead to three, 14-11, with 12:48 remaining in the half. Kenyotta Jenkins, who made her first career start, hit a three to put Ole Miss up nine, 25-14, with 7:50 left in the half.
Kayla Melson's three-point play with 4:23 to play put Ole Miss up 16, 32-16. Maggie McFerrin's three put Ole Miss up 41-19 before the Rebels took a 43-21 lead at the half.
Ole Miss shot 45.2 percent (19-of-42) in the first half while SELA shot 33.3 percent (9-of-27). Hope led the Rebels at the half with 12 points, five rebounds and three steals while Byrd added 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
The Rebels came out in the second half and pushed their lead to 36, 62-26, on a three pointer from Maggie McFerrin with 12:20 left in the game.
Byrd's jumper with 6:29 to play put Ole Miss up by 43, 76-37, and Ole Miss went on to post the 85-57 win.
Jenkins ended the game with 13 points and seven rebounds while McFerrin added 11 points. The Rebels shot 45.2 percent (33-of-73) from the floor while the Lady Lions shot 36.2 percent (21-of-58).
"We've started slow in games this year and we've always been a hole to start," head coach Renee Ladner said. "We started with pressure today and it worked to our advantage. The biggest thing today was when we got in foul trouble we had people step up. Pa'Sonna came to play today. She played extended minutes today and played through fatigue."
Jasmine Curtis, Jasmine Trotter and Kelsey Nutt all made their first career appearances for Ole Miss.
Ole Miss will host MVSU on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Fans who bring two nonperishable food items to donate to the Oxford Food Pantry will receive free admission to the game.
