The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Hosts No. 11/11 Baylor
12/6/2014 | Women's Basketball
Game Notes- vs. No. 11/11 Baylor - Game 9
Ole Miss is back in the friendly-confines of the Tad Pad and will host No. 11/11 Baylor in a rematch of last years 87-80 thriller in Waco on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast online on SECN+ with Will Kollymeyer and Armintie Herrington on the call. Sunday's game is the first of a six-game home stretch for the Rebels.
Game 9: Ole Miss (6-2) vs. No. 11/11 Baylor (5-1)
Date: December 7, 2014
Location: Oxford, Miss. (Tad Smith Coliseum)
Series: Tied, 1-1
Streak: Baylor won the last meeting
| Web Stream | Game Notes (PDF)
Starting Five
1. Ole Miss enters Sunday's game with a 6-2 record after a 98-69 road loss to Western Kentucky on Thursday. It was just the second loss for the Rebels all season and the first road loss. Ole Miss was led by Kiara Golden's career-high 19 points, while Shequila Joseph also added 13 points, her first game of double figures this season.
2. Ole Miss is looking for its first win over a ranked opponent in four years. The last time Ole Miss defeated a ranked foe was during the 2010-11 season when they defeated No. 23/24 Arkansas in Fayetteville. Ole Miss is looking for its first win over a ranked opponent at home since defeating No. 5 LSU at home during the 2006-07 season.
3. Kiara Golden poured in a career-high 19 points at Western Kentucky. It was her second career game in double figures and she became the fourth of Ole Miss' freshman class to score in double figures and the third to lead the team in scoring. With Golden's 19 points Ole Miss has had at least one double-figure scorer in each game this season.
4. A'Queen Hayes also had a career night at Western Kentucky with a team-best five assists. Hayes is averaging a team-best 2.6 assists per game and is leading the team with 21 overall assists. This is the second consecutive game an Ole Miss player has set a career-high in assists, Danielle McCray had a career-high seven assists in the Nugget Classic championship game against Nevada.
5. The Baylor game marks the first of six straight home games for Ole Miss, which includes opening SEC action against Arkansas on Jan. 2. Ole Miss is 4-1 in games played at Tad Smith Coliseum and is just eight wins away from the program's 400th home win. Overall, Ole Miss is winning 77 percent (392-119) of its home games in its 41-year history.
Ole Miss vs. Baylor Notables
-This will be the second consecutive season that the Rebels and Bears have met and the series is deadlocked at 1-1 after a thrilling 87-80 Baylor win in Waco last season. The teams first meet during the 1995-96 season at tournament hosted by Southern Miss.
-Baylor is the lone opponent for Ole Miss out of the Big 12, but is the second power five foe for Ole Miss during the non-conference slate. Ole Miss defeated Utah from the Pac-12, 52-38, at the Nugget Classic over Thanksgiving. Ole Miss is 16-10 all-time against teams from the Big 12.
-Baylor doesn't have any Mississippi natives on its roster but Nina Davis hails from nearby Memphis, Tenn., where she played her prep ball at Memphis Central.
A Win Would...
-Move Ole Miss to 7-2 on the season and give the Rebels their first win over a ranked opponent since the 2010-11 season and the first win at home over a ranked opponent since the 2006-07 season. It would also be head coach Matt Insell's first career win over a top-25 ranked opponent.
Rebels By The Numbers
5-Number of games it's been since Tia Faleru has had a double-double. Faleru has posted two double-doubles this season and has scored in double figures in six games but hasn't recorded a double-double since posting 29 points and 19 rebounds against Southern on Nov. 20.
7-Number of assists Danielle McCray had against Nevada. Her seven assists were a career-high besting her previous career high of 4 by three assists. It also ties for the most assists by a Rebel this season.
10.9-Number of rebounds Tia Faleru is averaging. Faleru posted a career-best 19 rebounds against Southern and hasn't grabbed less than eight rebounds all season.
19-Number of points Kiara Golden had against Western Kentucky. It was a career-best for the freshman and was her second game in double figures this season.
20-Number of offensive rebounds Ole Miss is averaging this season. Ole Miss has posted five games this season with 20 or more offensive rebounds and currently ranks third among its SEC foes in offensive rebounds. Tia Faleru ranks second with 4.6 offensive boards per game.
26.1-Number of turnovers Ole Miss is forcing opponents into this season. Ole Miss has a +10.3 turnover margin and has forced seven of its eight opponents into 20+ turnovers. The Rebels forced a season-best 46 turnovers against Mississippi Valley State. The 46 turnovers are the most since the Rebels forced 42 in a win over Alabama during the 2006-07 season and are thought to be a single-game record.
392-Number of wins Ole Miss has at the Tad Pad entering the 2014-15 season. Ole Miss needs just eight more home wins to reach 400 wins in its 41-year history at the Tad Smith Coliseum.
Scouting No. 11/11 Baylor
Baylor enters Sunday's game with a 5-1 record after a 96-42 win over UT-Pan American on Wednesday. The Bears have four players averaging double figures led by Nina Davis who is averaging 18.8 points and a team-best 7.7 rebounds. Joining Davis in double figures is Khadijiah Cave (16.8), Imani Wright (12.3) and Dekeiya Cohen (11.6). Baylor is averaging 91.0 points and is holding opponents to just 53.5 points per game. Of Baylor's six opponents, only three have scored 60 or more points. Ole Miss will be Baylor's second opponent out of the SEC, as they have already faced Kentucky, a game they dropped, 74-64, in Lexington.
About Ole Miss
Senior forward Tia Faleru continues to lead Ole Miss with 16.8 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game. Faleru has scored in double figures in six of Ole Miss' eight games and hasn't grabbed less than eight rebounds all year. Faleru is the lone player in double figures but Toree Thompson and Erika Sisk are nearing double figures with 8.9 and 8.6 points, respectively. The rest of the scoresheet is balanced with 11 players averaging at least four points. Danielle McCray and Kelsey Briggs are helping Faleru shoulder the rebounding load averaging 5.0 and 4.0 rebounds per game, respectively.
On Deck
Ole Miss will take some time off for exams before hosting South Alabama on Dec. 14. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Tad Smith Arena. The game will be available on the WatchESPN App and on SECN+.
