The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Host No. 18/16 Georgia
1/13/2015 | Women's Basketball
Game Notes- vs. No. 18/16 Georgia - Game 18
Ole Miss is back at the Tad Smith Coliseum for a showdown with No. 18/16 Georgia on Thursday evening. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. between the Rebels and Lady Bulldogs and will be televised SECN+ with Richard Cross and Armintie Herrington on the call.
Game 18: Ole Miss (13-4, 3-1 SEC) vs. No. 18 Georgia (15-2, 3-1 SEC)
Date: January 15, 2015
Location: Oxford, Miss. (Tad Smith Coliseum)
Series: Georgia leads, 31-11
Streak: Georgia has won the last five meetings
| SECN+ Link | Game Notes (PDF)
Starting Five
1. Ole Miss moved to 13-4, 3-1 SEC with a 77-63 win over Alabama on Sunday. The win moved the Rebels to 2-0 in league action at home and gave Ole Miss its third SEC win, which is the most since the 2009-10 season when the Rebels went 7-5 against SEC foes. Ole Miss' 13-4 start is the best start since the 2006-07 season, which was the last time Ole Miss went to the NCAA Tournament.
2. Gracie Frizzell was on fire from long range against Alabama, going 8-of-12 from the three-point line, setting a new single-game record and Tad Smith record for three-pointers made, while recording the most triples by an SEC player this season. As a team, Ole Miss was 10-of-21 from long range, the most this season and since the 2013-14 SEC opener vs. Missouri when Ole Miss drilled 11 triples.
3. A'Queen Hayes was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday (Jan. 12) after averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in wins over Florida and Alabama. Hayes posted her first career double-double against Florida with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and added 10 points against Alabama. She's the first Ole Miss Freshman of the Week since the 2010-11 season.
4. Tia Faleru extended her double-figure scoring streak to eight straight games with 19 points against Alabama. The senior forward was sharp from the free throw line, going 9-of-9 against the Crimson Tide. In the last two games, Faleru is 17-of-21 from the free throw line. Additionally, Faleru was one rebound shy of her sixth straight double-double.
5. Ole Miss enters the Georgia game needing just two wins for its 400th win at Tad Smith Coliseum. The Rebels are 398-120 (.766) in games played on its home court and have only posted to sub-.500 seasons in the last 13 seasons. The first chance for win No. 400 will come against Mississippi State on Jan. 22.
Ole Miss vs. Georgia Notables
-Thursday's matchup will be the 43rd meeting between Ole Miss and Georgia with the Bulldogs holding a commanding 31-11 advantage in the series and having won the last five games. Ole Miss last defeated Georgia in 2009-10, a 66-65 upset of the No. 15 ranked Bulldogs. The series is close in games played in Oxford, as Georgia only leads 9-7 in games played at Tad Smith Coliseum.
-There are a few Ole Miss-Georgia connections. Ole Miss sophomore tight end Evan Engram's sister, Mackenzie, is a freshman forward on the Georgia women's basketball team. Additionally, Georgia head coach Andy Landers son, Drew attended Ole Miss for undergrad.
-Georgia also has two Mississippi natives on its roster in Tiaria Griffin (Monticello, Miss.) and Krista Donald (Lake, Miss.). Ole Miss doesn't have any Georgia natives on its roster.
A Win Would...
-Move Ole Miss to 14-4, 4-1 SEC and give Ole Miss its first win over an AP-ranked opponent since the 2010-11 season and snap a 24-game losing streak to AP ranked opponents. Should Ole Miss pick up its third straight SEC win, it would mark the longest win streak since winning five straight SEC contests in 2009-10 en route to seven SEC wins.
Rebels By The Numbers
2-Number of SEC Weekly honors for Ole Miss this season. Freshman A'Queen Hayes was named Freshman of the Week on Jan. 12 and Tia Faleru picked up Player of the Week honors on Dec. 22. Ole Miss hasn't earned more than two SEC weekly honors since 2010.
7-Number of double doubles Tia Faleru has posted this season after 16 points and 12 rebounds against at Florida. Faleru posted five consecutive double-doubles from Dec. 20-Jan. 8 before having it snapped by a single rebound against Alabama. The five straight is the longest streak of her career.
8-Number of three-pointers from Gracie Frizzell against Alabama. The Little Rock, Arkansas native set a new Ole Miss single-game record and Tad Smith record. Her eight triples are the most in the SEC this season.
13- Number of wins the Ole Miss team has has entering the Georgia game. Ole Miss hadn't posted more than 12 wins since the 2009-10 season and is in search of its first winning record since going 17-15 in 2009-10. Ole Miss' last 20-win season was in 2006-07 when the Rebels went 24-11 and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.
398-Number of wins Ole Miss has at the Tad Pad. Ole Miss needs just two more home wins to reach 400 wins in its 41-year history at the Tad Smith Coliseum.
Scouting Georgia
Georgia enters Thursday's game with a 15-2, 3-1 SEC record and winner of their last three games after defeating Auburn 57-52 in Auburn. Georgia opened the season on a 12-game win streak before dropping back-to-back contest to Seton Hall and Mississippi State. Shacobia Barbee and Tiaria Griffin are leading the Bulldogs with 12.5 and 12.1 points per game, respectively. Krista Donald is grabbing 7.3 rebounds per game to lead the defensive efforts. Griffin has upped her production in SEC action averaging 15.3 points against SEC foes while Barbee is pulling down a team-best 75 rebounds in SEC action. As a team, Georgia is averaging 65.5 points per game while holding opponents to just 50.4 points per game.
About Ole Miss
Senior forward Tia Faleru continues to lead Ole Miss with 16.5 points per game and 10.7 rebounds per game. Faleru has scored in double figures in 15 of Ole Miss' 17 games and has grabbed eight or more rebounds in 16 of Ole Miss' 17 games, with seven double-doubles on the season. Faleru is the lone player in double figures, but Erika Sisk is nearing double figures with 9.5 points per game while Danielle McCray is close as well with 7.3 points per game. The Rebels boast a fairly balanced scoresheet with 10 players averaging at least four points. Danielle McCray and A'Queen Hayes are helping Faleru shoulder the rebounding load averaging 4.6 and 4.2 rebounds per game, respectively. In SEC action, the Rebel have three players averaging double figures with Faleru leading the way with 16.5 points, while Erika Sisk and A'Queen Hayes are averaging 11.3 and 10.5 points per game, respectively.
On Deck
Ole Miss will hit the road for its second consecutive matchup with an AP-ranked foe, as it travels to College Station to take on No. 11/12 Texas A&M in nationally televised game on the SEC Network. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. CT from Reed Arena.
From The Coach
