The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Hoops Hosts MSU Thursday In The
2/8/2011 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Ole Miss Rebels, 10-12 overall, 3-7 SEC (6-5 home)
This Week ...
vs. Mississippi State, 9-13 overall, 1-9 SEC (3-7 away)
Thursday, February 10, 2011, 7 p.m.
Date: Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tip-off: 7 p.m. (CT)
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: Tad Smith Coliseum (9,061)
TV: None
Radio: WTNM - SuperTalk 105.5
Gary Darby (play-by-play)
Web: Gametracker | RebelVision
Up Next:
Sunday, February 13 vs. No. 24/RV Georgia, 1 p.m. (CSS)
Thursday, February 17 vs. Arkansas, 7 p.m. (COX)
REBELS HOST INTRASTATE RIVAL MISSISSIPPI STATE THURSDAY
Coming off a 76-38 home loss to LSU on Sunday, Ole Miss will look to get back on the winning track Thursday when the team hosts intrastate rival Mississippi State at 7 p.m. The game, Ole Miss' second at home in the middle of a four-game home stand, is the "Pack the House Challenge" and the first 200 fans in the door will receive a free t-shirt. Ole Miss is 6-5 at home this year but has lost its last three games at the Tad Smith Coliseum to LSU, nationally-ranked Kentucky and an overtime loss to South Carolina.
ABOUT OLE MISS
The Rebels are 10-12 (3-7 SEC) this year and are coming off a 76-38 loss at home against LSU on Sunday. Ole Miss is led by Kayla Melson who is averaging 15.6 points per game. Valencia McFarland is second, averaging 12.8 points per game while Shae Nelson is third averaging 9.3 points per game. Pa'Sonna Hope leads the team in rebounding (6.5 rpg) while Nikki Byrd is second, averaging 5.3 rpg. As a team, the Rebels are averaging 61.2 points per game while its opponents average 68.0 points per game.
NEWS AND NOTES
Current Ole Miss associate coach Jocelyn McGilberry was an assistant coach at Mississippi State from 1995-2003 ... Ole Miss leads the SEC in conference games in free throw percentage (74.6 percent) ... The Rebels shot a season-low 23.2 percent from the floor in its 76-38 loss to LSU on February 6 ... Ole Miss' 38 points scored against LSU tied for the second fewest points scored in program history ... the 12 points Ole Miss scored in the second half versus LSU ties the fewest points scored in the second half in program history ... freshman Kenyotta Jenkins is 11-of-12 from the line this year with her only miss coming at Vanderbilt ... forward Courtney Marbra played 35 minutes in the win at Florida on February 3 and did not record a turnover ... Ole Miss' top three scorers in the Florida win were freshmen (McFarland, Hope and Nelson) ... Ole Miss played six of its first nine conference game on the road ... the Rebels will play five of its final eight games at home including four straight at home starting February 6 ... in all games, three of Ole Miss' top four scorers are freshmen (Valencia McFarland, Shae Nelson and Pa'Sonna Hope) ... Pa'Sonna Hope was held scoreless for the first time in her career against No. 17/18 Kentucky ... Ole Miss' 11 point lead against No. 17/18 Kentucky marks the Rebels' biggest lead in a loss this year ... of the 24 1,000 point scorers on Ole Miss's career list, only six have averaged more points as a freshman than freshman Valencia McFarland ... McFarland is averaging 12.7 points per game this season ... McFarland is the first freshman since now assistant coach Arminite Price Herrington to average more than 12.0 points per game as a freshman (Price Herrington averaged 14.9 ppg as a freshman in 2003-04) ... in SEC play, Shae Nelson has accounted for 29 of the team's 41 three pointers ... Ole Miss' 73 points the team scored in its loss at Auburn marks the most points the Rebels have scored in a loss this year.
OLE MISS VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
Ole Miss leads the overall series with Mississippi State, 61-18. The Rebels have a 27-7 advantage in games played in Oxford but the last 10 meetings overall are even at 5-5. Last season, Ole Miss and Mississippi State split the series with each team winning on their home floor. The Rebels won 33 straight games over the Bulldogs from 1982-97.
A LOOK AT MISSISSIPPI STATE
Mississippi State is 9-13 overall and 1-9 in SEC play. The Bulldogs are coming off a 66-61 loss at Alabama on Thursday and a 57-45 win at Auburn on Sunday. Mississippi State is led by Mary Katheryn Govero who leads the team with 11.8 points per game. Diamber Johnson is second (11.3) while Porsha Proter is third (10.6). Ashley Brown leads the team in rebounding with 8.6 rebounds per game. As a team, the Bulldogs average 57.8 points per game while its opponents average 59.0. Mississippi State shoots 37.1 percent from the floor, 30.1 percent from three-point range and 66.0 percent from the free throw line. The Bulldogs average 38.9 rebounds per game, 10.2 assists per game, 17.2 turnovers per game and 8.5 steals per game.
A WIN THURSDAY WOULD .....
- Give Ole Miss its second consecutive win over Mississippi State in Oxford.
- Improve Ole Miss' record at home to 7-6 this year.
A LOSS THURSDAY WOULD .....
- Give Ole Miss its fourth loss in its last five games.
- Hand Ole Miss its sixth loss at home this year, the most losses at home since the 2002-03 season.
"PACK THE HOUSE CHALLENGE" THURSDAY NIGHT
The Ole Miss/Mississippi State game on Thursday is the "Pack the House Challenge" and the first 200 fans will receive a free t-shirt. In addition, one fan will win a pair of baseball season tickets.
NELSON LEADS THE LEAGUE IN THREES MADE IN SEC GAMES
Freshmen Shae Nelson leads the league in SEC games in threes made per game with 2.9. Nelson has made 29 threes in the team's 10 SEC games. In all games, Nelson leads the team with 39 made threes. Her 2.9 threes per game in SEC play has Nelson ranked 78th in the nation out of 250 players.
REBELS START YOUNGEST LINEUP OF THE YEAR
Ole Miss, who has consistently had two freshmen in the starting lineup all year in Valencia McFarland and Pa'Sonna Hope, recently added freshman Shae Nelson to the starting lineup. Against LSU on February 6, Ole Miss did not have an upperclassmen in its starting lineup. McFarland, Nelson, Hope and sophomores Courteny Marbra and Maggie McFerrin made up Ole Miss' starting lineup against the Tigers. Underclassmen accounted for 158 of the team's 200 minutes played against LSU and scored 32 of the team's 38 points.
HOPE SETS A CAREER-HIGH IN REBOUNDS
Freshman Pa'Sonna Hope grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds in Ole Miss' loss against LSU on February 6. Hope passed her previous career-high of 15 boards set against Mississippi Valley State in December. She has recorded at least seven boards in 10 games this year and has recorded at least 10 rebounds three times this year. Hope leads the team in rebounding averaging 6.5 rebounds per game in overall games and is averaging 5.9 rebounds per game in SEC play. When Hope recorded 15 boards in December, it was the most rebounds by an Ole Miss player since 2008.
MCFERRIN MAKES FIRST CAREER START
Sophomore Maggie McFerrin made her first career start against LSU on January 6. McFerrin logged a career-high 32 minutes and tied her career high when she grabbed two boards in the loss. McFerrin, a walk-on from Tupelo, Miss., scored a career-high 11 points and added career highs in rebounds (2) and assists (2) against SELA in December.
FRESHMEN PRODUCTIVE IN SEC PLAY
The freshman trio of Valencia McFarland, Shae Nelson and Pa'Sonna Hope, average a combined 31.1 points per game for Ole Miss in SEC play. As a team, the Rebels average 57.0 points per game in SEC games. In conference games this year, McFarland (14.2 ppg), Nelson (11.4 ppg) and Hope (5.5 ppg) are second, third and fourth in the team in scoring. The trio has made a combined 24 starts and each player has played in each of the 10 SEC games this year.
MCFARLAND LOGGING MAJOR MINUTES
Freshman Valencia McFarland has played in five games this year where she played 40 or more minutes. Her five 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. McFarland has also played in four games with 39 minutes and three games with 38 minutes. This season, McFarland is second on the team averaging 36.4 minutes per game.
REBOUNDS TELL THE STORY
The Rebels started the season outrebounding its opponents in 10 of the team's first 13 games but has been outrebounded in six of its past nine games. During that span, Ole Miss has been outrebounded 352-to-278 (39.1 rpg to 30.9 rpg) with its two games outrebounding an opponent coming in a 69-65 win over No. 23/24 Arkansas on January 23 and a win at Florida 61-59 on February 3. Ole Miss has outrebounded its opponent in each of its SEC wins this year as the team also outrebounded Vanderbilt in a 72-67 win on January 2.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Ole Miss will host Georgia on Sunday, February 13 at 1 p.m. (CSS) followed by a home game against Arkansas on Thursday, February 17 at 7 p.m. (COX). The Rebels will play at Alabama on Sunday, February 20 at 2 p.m.
