The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Hang On For 65-61 Win Over Auburn
2/26/2010 | Women's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. - All-America candidate Bianca Thomas scored 22 points and tallied five rebounds and Ole Miss celebrated "Senior Night" with a 65-61 victory over Auburn Thursday night from Tad Smith Coliseum.
Elizabeth Robertson finished with 11 points and hit three 3-pointers to up her season total to 67 and move into third place all-time on the Ole Miss single season list.
Shantell Black added 10 points and four assists, while Kayla Holloway pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
Alli Smalley and Jordan Greenleaf paced Auburn with 16 points apiece, and Morgan Toles also finished in double figures with 10 points.
Ole Miss (16-12, 7-8 SEC) took a 64-53 lead with just under three minutes remaining in the second half when Thomas knifed her way through traffic and scored on a layup in the lane.
Smalley cut the Rebel lead to eight points at the 2:08 mark with a three-pointer from the wing. Robertson missed a three-point attempt on the ensuing Ole Miss possession, and Greenleaf sunk two free throws for the Tigers to leave Auburn trailing 64-58 with just over a minute on the clock.
Auburn (13-15, 4-11 SEC) forced the Rebels into a turnover on the following possession, and Smalley struck again with another three-pointer to pull the Tigers to within three-points at 64-61 with 39 seconds to play.
The Tigers opted not to foul Ole Miss on its next possession and forced Thomas into a deep three-point attempt with the shot clock nearing zero. Thomas' shot from the wing hit off the back rim and sailed long, but Robertson snuck into the lane from well beyond the three-point arc and corralled the loose rebound for the Rebels.
Robertson quickly put the ball into the hands of Rebel point guard Kayla Melson. Melson was immediately sent to the free throw line following a foul by Smalley. She hit one of two free throws and Smalley's half court heave at the buzzer sailed well wide.
"Liz Robertson's rebound was the biggest rebound of the year," Ole Miss head coach Renee Ladner said. "Every single one of our seniors brought their gift to the game tonight. They made it important tonight to win this game."
Ole Miss held a 43-31 rebounding edge and six of the eight players that saw action finished with at least five boards.
Ole Miss led by 11 points with 4:30 left in the first half following a layup from LaKendra Phillips, but Auburn closed the half on a 10-2 run and KeKe Carrier hit a layup as time expired to pull the Tigers to within three points at intermission.
The Rebels opened the second half on a 9-2 run over the first 2:36 to take a 40-30 lead on a layup from Thomas. The Tigers fought to within four points of Ole Miss twice during the second half before getting as close as three points in the final minute.
Ole Miss puts the finishing touches on the regular season Sunday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. (CT) when the Rebels travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on the fourth-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
