The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Hoops At No. 5/6 Tennessee Sunday
1/7/2011 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Ole Miss Rebels (8-5, 1-0 SEC)
This Week ...
at No. 5/6 Tennessee
Sunday, January 9, 2011: at No. 5/6 Tennessee (14-2, 2-0 SEC)
Date: Sunday, January 9, 2011
Tip-off: 11 a.m. (CT)
Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
Arena: Thompson-Boling Arena (24,535)
TV: CSS
(Bernie Guenther-play-by-play and Joe Ciampi- analyst)
Radio: Gary Darby, play-by-play
WTNM Supertalk Mississippi (105.5 FM)
Web: Gametracker - Click here Web stream - Click here
(No. - Reflect Associated Press/USA Today Coaches Poll Ranking)
REBELS TRAVEL TO NO. 5/6 TENNESSEE SUNDAY
Coming off a SEC-opening win at home on Sunday, Ole Miss will play its first SEC road game of the year at nationally-ranked Tennessee. The Rebels trail in the overall series, 7-36 with the Lady Vols holding a 16-2 advantage in games played in Knoxville. An Ole Miss win would give the Rebels its first 2-0 start in SEC play since the 2006-07 season and would improve Ole Miss' all-time record against the AP No. 5 team to 8-15.
ABOUT OLE MISS
The Rebels are 8-5 (1-0 SEC) this year and will look for its first win versus Tennessee in 21 tries when Ole Miss travels to Knoxville on Sunday for an 11 a.m. CT tip on CSS. The Rebels improved to 2-2 in SEC openers under Renee Ladner with a 72-67 come-from-behind win over Vanderbilt on Jan. 2. Ole Miss is led by Kayla Melson who is averaging 15.5 points per game. Valencia McFarland is second, averaging 11.8 points per game while Pa'Sonna Hope is third averaging 9.4 points per game. Pa'Sonna Hope leads the team in rebounding (6.8 rpg) while Nikki Byrd is second, averaging 6.4 rpg. As a team, the Rebels are averaging 65.3 points per game while holding its opponents to 64.5 points per game.
NEWS AND NOTES
The Rebels are third in the SEC in rebounds per game (43.7) and are second in offensive rebounds (17.6) ... Kayla Melson recorded the first 30-point performance for the Rebels since Feb. of 2010 ... the Rebels outscored Vanderbilt by 21 an the second-half marking Ole Miss' biggest margin Ole Miss has outscored in opponent by in the second half ... for the year the Rebels have outscored their opponents 453-393 in the second half while being outscored 394 to 437 in the first half ... Ole Miss gave up a season-high 82 points in back-to-back losses at Central Michigan and versus Miami ... Ole Miss has recorded at least 40 rebounds in 10 games this year including 10 of its last 12 games ... Pa'Sonna Hope became the fourth player to record a double-double this year (Kayla Melson, Courtney Marbra and Nikki Byrd are the others) ... LaTosha Laws tied her career-high with six assists versus SELA ... Ole Miss' double overtime game against Hawai`i marked the team's first double overtime game since a February 2007 game at Arkansas ... Melson is the only player to have started all 13 games this year ... Melson is averaging nearly 40 minutes a game for Ole Miss (37.8 mpg) ... Ole Miss came from 18 points down to beat Vanderbilt and 14 points down in two games this year to win, versus Gonzaga and versus Illinois ... Melson tied her career-high with 12 boards against Nicholls State ... McFarland matched her career high in assists with seven versus Arizona.
OLE MISS VS. TENNESSEE
Tennessee leads the all-time series between the two schools, 36-7. The Lady Vols are 16-2 in games played in Knoxville. Last season, Tennessee hit a shot at the buzzer to beat Ole Miss at home, 61-58 as the Lady Vols went 3-0 against the Rebels last season.
A LOOK AT TENNESSEE
No. 5/6 Tennessee is 14-2 (2-0 SEC) and is coming off a 110-45 win over Alabama on Thursday. The Lady Vols are led by Meighan Simmons (15.1 ppg) and Angie Bjorklund (11.6 ppg) who lead four players in double figures. The Lady Vols average a league-leading 88.9 points per game and field goal percentage (46.0 percent). The Lady Vols are led in rebounding by Glory Johnson (9.1 rpg).
A WIN SUNDAY WOULD .....
- Move Ole Miss to a 2-0 SEC start - its first since 2006-07.
- Give the Rebels its first win over a nationally-ranked team since Ole Miss beat #19/21 LSU on Feb. 7, 2010.
- Give Ole Miss its first win in Knoxville since January of 1987 and first win over Tennessee since February of 1996.
A LOSS SUNDAY WOULD .....
- Give the Rebels its third loss in the last four games.
- Bring Ole Miss' all-time record against top-10 opponents to 28-100.
- Keep the Rebels winless in road games this year.
MELSON ON FIRE IN WIN OVER VANDERBILT
Senior Kayla Melson recorded a career-high 30 point to go along with a career-high 12 free throws as she led Ole Miss to a 72-67 come-from-behind win over Vanderbilt. Melson also added a team-high seven boards and five assists in 40 minutes.
COMEBACK KIDS
Three times this year Ole Miss has come back from at least 14 points down to win the game. The Rebels trailed Vanderbilt by 18 just before halftime to come back and win 72-67. Ole Miss also came back from 14 points down to beat Gonazga (53-52) and Illinois (70-61). Ole Miss trailed Vanderbilt by 16 points at halftime marking Ole Miss' biggest comeback after trailing at the half since the Rebels came back from 20 points down to beat Tennessee Tech in 1998.
ROAD WOES
The Rebels are searching for their first road win of the season at Tennessee. Ole Miss is 0-3 on the road this year and is 2-5 in games away from the Tad Smith Coliseum with wins coming against Gonzaga and Illinois in Hawaii.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
Ole Miss has outrebounded its opponents in 10 of the team's 13 games this year, including the past six games and nine of the last 10. The Rebels hold a +6.3 rebounding margin over its opponents.
MELSON, MCFARLAND DOING A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
Senior guard Kayla Melson and freshman point guard Valencia McFarland are 1,2 on the team in several categories including (listed as Melson, McFarland): points (15.5, 11.8); assists (67, 49); minutes (37.8, 35.2), double-digit scoring games (10, 7) and field goal attempts (152, 144).
PHENOMENAL FRESHMAN
Freshman Valencia McFarland has played in four games this year where she played 40 or more minutes. Her four games with 40 or more minutes are the most by an Ole Miss freshman since Alliesha Easley played three games with 40+ minutes during the 2006-07 season.
MELSON ON TRACK FOR 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Senior Kayla Melson has recorded a total of 955 career points and needs 45 points to reach 1,000 for her career. This season, Melson is averaging a team-leading 15.5 points per game.
MELSON LOOKS TO BREAK INTO TOP FIVE IN CAREER ASSISTS
Senior Kayla Melson has recorded 425 assists during her career. She needs to record 31 assists this season to claim the fifth spot on the career list (456). This year Melson, who has played in 104 career games, leads the team with 67 and has recorded at six games this year with at least five assists.
CAREER ASSISTS
1. 566, Glenda Springfield, 1975-79 (134 games)
2. 559, Kim Bullard, 1984-88 (118 games)
3. 552, Dana Fortenberry, 1979-83 (123 games)
4. 531, Carol Ross, 1977-81 (135 games)
5. 455, Jackie Martin, 1987-92 (130 games)
SCORING IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Through their first 13 games of the season, the Rebels have had a total of nine different players record a total of 35 double-digit scoring games. Five players (Valencia McFarland, LaTosha Laws, Kayla Melson, Pa'Sonna Hope and Nikki Byrd) have recorded a total of 17 games of 15 points or more while McFarland, Melson and Hope have accounted for a combined seven 20-point games.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
With its win over Vanderbilt on Jan. 2, Ole Miss improved to 6-2 at home this year. The Rebels have recorded at least 10 home wins in three of the last four years. Last season's team finished the year with nine home wins.
WEATHER FORCES OLE MISS TO CANCEL TWO GAMES
Snow on the East Coast forced the Rebels to cancel their games at the St. Peter's Holiday Classic in Jersey City, N.J. The Rebels' flight was cancelled due to the snow and charter options did not work out forcing Ole Miss to cancel its trip. These games would have marked Ole Miss' last two non-conference games of the season.
TURNOVERS PLAGUE REBELS AGAINST CENTRAL MICHIGAN, MIAMI
Ole Miss committed a season-high 30 turnovers at Central Michigan which led to 21 points for the Chippewas while the Rebels turned the ball over 29 points against Miami which led to 33 points for the Hurricanes.
HOPE NAMED SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Freshman forward Pa'Sonna Hope was named SEC Freshman of the Week the SEC announced December 12. This is the first career honor for Hope and it's the first time this season an Ole Miss player has won a weekly honor from the SEC. Last week she led Ole Miss with a career-high 20 points in an 85-51 win over SE Louisiana. Hope also grabbed eight rebounds to tie her career high. For the week she went 10-for-23 scoring 20 points with eight rebounds, four steals and two assists.
BYRD RECORDS HER FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE OF THE YEAR
Junior Nikki Byrd recorded her first double-double of the year, and fourth of her career, with a season-high 15 points and 10 rebounds versus SELA. The 10 boards marks the second time this year she has recorded double-digit rebounds. Byrd is the third player this year to record a double-double along with Kayla Melson and Courtney Marbra.
CLOSE GAMES
Eight of Ole Miss' first 12 games were decided by nine points or less while four of those games were decided by five points or less. This year the Rebels have gone 4-1 in games decided by five points or less in those games with their narrowest margin of defeat coming versus Arizona (72-70) and their narrowest margin of victory coming versus Gonzaga (53-52).
BECOME A FAN OF OLE MISS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ON FACEBOOK
The Ole Miss women's basketball team launched its Facebook page this week at facebook.com/OleMissWBB. The site also has links to the team's YouTube, Twitter and Picasa sites. "Like" the page today and become a fan to get updates on games, pictures from games and road trips, videos and more.
MELSON RECORDS SECOND DOUBLE-DOUBLE OF THE YEAR
Senior guard Kayla Melson recorded second double-double of the season against Nicholls State with 12 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. She recorded her first double-double of the year against Sam Houston State with 15 points and a career-high 12 boards.
Active Players With Double-Doubles
Season Career
Kayla Melson 2 5
Nikki Byrd 1 4
Courtney Marbra 1 1
Pa'Sonna Hope 1 1
MELSON, MCFARLAND LEAD TEAM IN 20-POINT GAMES THIS YEAR
Senior Kayla Melson has recorded four 20-point games this year while freshman Valencia McFarland has recorded two. McFarland scored a career 24 agaisnt Illinois and added 20 versus Arizona while Melson scored a career-high 30 vs. Vanderbilt. She also scored 29 at South Alabama , added 21 against Illinois and 20 versus Gonzaga. Pa'Sonna Hope has recorded one 20-point game this year scoring a career-high 20 versus SELA.
WOMEN'S HOOPS SIGNS FOUR
Head coach Renne Lander announced the signing of Danielle McCray, Gracie Frizzell, Monique Jackson and Tia Faleru to National Letters of Intent for the 2011-12 year. McCray Daneille McCray is a 6-1 forward from West Palm Beach, Fla. She is the 85th best player and 25th best forward in the country as ranked by ESPNU HoopGurlz. Frizzell Gracie Frizzell is a 5-10 guard from Little Rock, Ark. Frizzell averaged 16 points and seven rebounds per game at Central Arkansas Christian High School. Jackson Monique Jackson is a 6-1 forward from, Phenix City, Ala. She averaged 20 points and 16 rebounds per game at Central High School and was named the Ledger-Enquirer Girls Basketball Player of the Year and First Team All Bi-City. Faleru Faleru is a 6-0 wing from Carroll, Ala. Faleru averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists per game at Ozark High School.
2011-12 RECRUITING CLASS RANKED 39TH IN THE NATION BY ESPNU HOOPGURLZ
ESPNU HoopGurlz ranked Ole Miss' 2011-12 signing class as the 39th best class in the nation. The publication ranked the top 60 2011-12 signing classes in the nation and have Ole Miss ahead of fellow SEC schools, Mississippi State (44th), Auburn (60th) and Arkansas who was listed as "on the cusp."
OLE MISS ON TV
Ole Miss is schedule to be on TV at least eight times during the season. All times are Central.
Jan. 9 at Tennessee, 11 a.m., CSS
Jan 22 vs. Kentucky, 8 p.m., FSN
Jan. 30 at Vanderbilt, 2 p.m., FSN
Feb. 6 vs. LSU, 1 p.m., SEC Network
Feb. 13 vs. Georgia, 2 p.m., CSS
Feb. 17 vs. Arkansas, 7 p.m., COX
Feb. 24, vs. Tennessee, 7 p.m., FSN
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Ole Miss will travel to Auburn on Thursday, Jan. 13 for a 6 p.m. tip. The Rebels will then host South Carolina on Sunday, Jan 16 at 2 p.m. before playing back-to-back road games at LSU on Jan. 20 and at Arkansas on Jan. 23.
