The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Fall To Samford In WNIT
3/19/2010 | Women's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Savannah Hill's layup with five seconds left lifted Samford to a 66-65 win over Ole Miss Thursday night from the Pete Hanna Center in the first round of the WNIT.
Kayla Melson took the ensuing inbounds pass and raced down the court and shot a jumper just inside the free throw line, but her game-winning attempt hit off the front of the rim and bounced twice before falling to the floor as time expired.
Senior Elizabeth Robertson gave Ole Miss a 57-54 lead with 5:22 left to play following an old fashioned three-point play. One minute later, she put the Rebels ahead by five points with a jump shot from the wing to cap a 7-0 run.
Alex Crow cut the lead to three points after hitting a pair of free throws, but Shantell Black scored on the following Ole Miss possession to push the lead back to five points with 3:23 remaining.
Hill knocked down two free throws for the Bulldogs on the next trip down the floor, and Monica Maxwell brought Samford to within one point at 61-60 on a layup following an Ole Miss turnover.
Melson upped the Ole Miss lead to two points after hitting one of two free throws, but the Bulldogs once again responded with two free throws of their own to even the score at 62-62 with just over one minute to play.
After forcing Ole Miss into a missed three-pointer, Samford went back to the free throw line following a Rebel foul and Megan Wilderotter sunk a pair from the charity stripe to put the Bulldogs ahead 64-62 with 34 seconds to play.
The Rebels took an 65-64 lead with 25 seconds on the clock after LaKendra Phillips converted an old fashioned three-point play when she hit a layup while drawing a foul.
Maxwell then hit Hill on a back door cut for the game-winning layup.
Emily London led the Bulldogs with 21 points and hit a team-high three 3-pointers. Hill finished with 19 points and four assists, while Crow grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
As a team, the Bulldogs hit 19-of-21 free throws and hit their final 15.
Ole Miss All-America candidate Bianca Thomas finished with 22 points and hit five three-pointers to up her season total to an even 100. Thomas moved into fifth place all-time on the SEC's single season list.
Robertson poured in 12 points and grabbed four rebounds, while Melson added 10 points, nine assists and four steals.
Ole Miss held a 37-23 edge in rebounds and held a 14-2 advantage in second chance points, but Samford forced the Rebels into 17 turnovers and turned those mistakes into 18 points.
The Rebels led by eight points following a three-pointer from Thomas at the 3:39 mark of the first half, but the Bulldogs closed the period on a 7-0 run to trail by one at 27-26 at the break.
