The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Suffer Setback Against Vanderbilt
2/21/2010 | Women's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss All-America candidate Bianca Thomas scored a game-high 23 points and moved into 12th place all-time in scoring at Ole Miss, but it wasn't enough to overcome a late Vanderbilt push as the Rebels fell 68-59 Sunday afternoon from Tad Smith Coliseum.
Thomas has scored 1,396 points during her career at Ole Miss and passed both Rebel greats Tarsha Bethley (1,378) and Jackie Martin-Glass (1,395) during Sunday's game.
It was also the 15th time this season Thomas has scored at least 20 points, and she currently leads the conference with 20.6 points per game.
Kayla Melson finished with 17 points and five assists, while sophomore post Kayla Holloway added a career-high 13 points to go along with eight rebounds.
Elizabeth Robertson hit one three-pointer to up her season total to 64 and move into fourth place all-time on the Ole Miss single season list.
Vanderbilt guard Jence Rhoads led the Commodores with 19 points and four assists. Merideth Marsh added 14 points and hit a pair of three-pointers, while freshman Elan Brown tallied a game-high 10 rebounds.
Vanderbilt (19-8, 8-6 SEC) led 30-29 at halftime and started the second half on a 7-0 run to open up a 37-29 lead just 1:27 minutes into play. Ole Miss, however, answered with a 12-2 run of its own to take a 41-39 advantage with 14:37 remaining.
Ole Miss (15-12, 6-8 SEC) took its largest lead of the second half with just under 12 minutes to play when Melson hit her second three-pointer of the game to give the Rebels a 47-43 lead.
The Commodores scored the next five points on a jumper from Brown and a three-pointer from Lauren Lueders to regain the lead, but Holloway scored on the ensuining Ole Miss possession to put the Rebels back ahead by one point.
After a free throw from Brown and a jumper by Jessica Mooney pushed Vanderbilt ahead by two points, Melson tied the game for the fourth time with a jumper in the lane to even the score at 51-51 with just over eight minutes remaining.
Thomas gave Ole Miss the lead with a driving layup minutes later, but the Commodores used an 11-0 run thereafter to take a 62-53 lead with 3:12 on the clock.
Thomas hit a free throw and a three-pointer to pull the Rebels to within five points with 1:25 left to play, but Rhoads broke free from the pack and scored on a breakaway layup to put Vanderbilt ahead by seven points.
The Commodores went 4-for-4 from the free throw line over the final 29 seconds to secure the win.
Ole Miss returns to action Thursday night at 7 p.m. when the Rebels welcome Auburn to Tad Smith Coliseum in the final home game of the regular season. Prior to the game, the Rebels will honor the 2010 senior class.
Thomas has scored 1,396 points during her career at Ole Miss and passed both Rebel greats Tarsha Bethley (1,378) and Jackie Martin-Glass (1,395) during Sunday's game.
It was also the 15th time this season Thomas has scored at least 20 points, and she currently leads the conference with 20.6 points per game.
Kayla Melson finished with 17 points and five assists, while sophomore post Kayla Holloway added a career-high 13 points to go along with eight rebounds.
Elizabeth Robertson hit one three-pointer to up her season total to 64 and move into fourth place all-time on the Ole Miss single season list.
Vanderbilt guard Jence Rhoads led the Commodores with 19 points and four assists. Merideth Marsh added 14 points and hit a pair of three-pointers, while freshman Elan Brown tallied a game-high 10 rebounds.
Vanderbilt (19-8, 8-6 SEC) led 30-29 at halftime and started the second half on a 7-0 run to open up a 37-29 lead just 1:27 minutes into play. Ole Miss, however, answered with a 12-2 run of its own to take a 41-39 advantage with 14:37 remaining.
Ole Miss (15-12, 6-8 SEC) took its largest lead of the second half with just under 12 minutes to play when Melson hit her second three-pointer of the game to give the Rebels a 47-43 lead.
The Commodores scored the next five points on a jumper from Brown and a three-pointer from Lauren Lueders to regain the lead, but Holloway scored on the ensuining Ole Miss possession to put the Rebels back ahead by one point.
After a free throw from Brown and a jumper by Jessica Mooney pushed Vanderbilt ahead by two points, Melson tied the game for the fourth time with a jumper in the lane to even the score at 51-51 with just over eight minutes remaining.
Thomas gave Ole Miss the lead with a driving layup minutes later, but the Commodores used an 11-0 run thereafter to take a 62-53 lead with 3:12 on the clock.
Thomas hit a free throw and a three-pointer to pull the Rebels to within five points with 1:25 left to play, but Rhoads broke free from the pack and scored on a breakaway layup to put Vanderbilt ahead by seven points.
The Commodores went 4-for-4 from the free throw line over the final 29 seconds to secure the win.
Ole Miss returns to action Thursday night at 7 p.m. when the Rebels welcome Auburn to Tad Smith Coliseum in the final home game of the regular season. Prior to the game, the Rebels will honor the 2010 senior class.
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