The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Hosts No. 6/6 Tennessee
2/10/2015 | Women's Basketball
Game Notes- vs. No. 6/6 Tennessee - Game 24
Ole Miss is back in the friendly confines of Tad Smith Coliseum for a Thursday night game with No 6/6 Tennessee. Tipoff is set for 6 pm and will be broadcast on SECN+ with Will Kollmeyer and Armintie Herrington on the call.
Game 24: Ole Miss (14-9, 4-6 SEC) vs. Tennessee (20-3, 10-0 SEC)
Date: February 12, 2015
Location: Oxford, Miss. (Tad Smith Coliseum)
Series: Tennessee leads, 42-7
Streak: Tennessee has won the last 26 meetings
| TV: SECN+ | Game Notes (PDF)
Starting Five
1. Ole Miss dropped a heartbreaker to Vanderbilt, 58-54, in its last outing on Thursday (Feb. 5). Ole Miss has now dropped its last five contests, which is the longest streak since a nine-game streak last season. Ole Miss is now 14-9, 4-6 SEC and sitting tied with Arkansas for ninth place in league standings.
2. Tia Faleru recorded her ninth double-double and first since Jan. 18 with a game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds at Vanderbilt. Faleru has now posted nine double-doubles on the season and 29 career double-doubles which ranks sixth all-time at Ole Miss and is second among SEC active players.
3. Shandricka Sessom posted her second consecutive game in double figures with 12 points at Vanderbilt. Sessom is averaging 10.6 points per game over the last three games and is scoring 6.9 points against SEC foes. In the five games she's been back in the lineup since her concussion like symptoms she is averaging 8.2 points per game.
4. Tia Faleru is approaching her 800th rebound and is just 29 rebounds shy of the milestone. Should she reach the milestone this season she will become one of seven players in program history with 1000 career points, 800 career rebounds and 150 career steals and will become the first to do it since Armintie Price in 2006-07.
5. Ole Miss is in search of win No. 400 at the Tad Pad and needs just one more win to reach the milestone. Ole Miss is 399-122 entering Thursday's game. Ole Miss has only posted two sub-.500 records in the last 13 seasons and this season sports an 11-4 record on its home court.
Ole Miss vs. Tennessee Notables
-This will be the 50th meeting between Ole Miss and Tennessee, with the Lady Vols owing a 42-7 series advantage and having won the last 26 meetings between the teams. Ole Miss is looking for its first win over Tennessee since the 1995-96 season when the Rebels defeated Tennessee 78-72 in Oxford.
-Ole Miss assistant coach Alex Simmons played her collegiate basketball at Tennessee and was a part of the 2007 and 2008 national championships. Additionally Simmons along with head coach Matt Insell are both Tennessee natives hailing from Shelbyville, Tennessee. Kelsey Briggs is Ole Miss' lone Tennessee native and calls Memphis home.
A Win Would...
-Move Ole Miss to 15-6, 5-6 SEC and snap Tennessee's 26-game win streak against the Rebels. Ole Miss would also send Tennessee to its first loss in SEC action as the Lady Vols enter Thursday's game with an unblemished 10-0 SEC record joining South Carolina as the lone undefeated teams in league play.
Rebels By The Numbers
1-Number of wins at Tad Smith Coliseum Ole Miss needs to pick up its 400th win. Ole Miss is playing its last full season in the Tad Pad this season and has only posted two sub-.500 records in the last 13 seasons
8-Number of three-pointers from Gracie Frizzell against Alabama on Jan. 11. 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.
14- Number of wins the Ole Miss team currently has. 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.
29-Number of rebounds Tia Faleru needs for her 800th rebound. She will become one of seven players with 1,000 points and 800 rebounds. She also picked up her 150th steal against South Carolina and once she reaches 800 rebounds will be one of four players with 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 150 steals and the first since Armintie Price (2003-07).
29-Number of career double-doubles for Tia Faleru after a 23-point, 13-rebound outing against Vanderbilt. It was her first double-double since 11 points and 12 rebounds against Texas A&M on Jan. 18 and was also her first 20-point game since scoring 21 against Kentucky on Jan. 4.
Scouting Tennessee
Tennessee enters Thursday's game with a 20-3, 10-0 SEC record after a 64-56 win at Florida on Sunday. The win was the fifth straight for the Lady Vols after a, 88-77, setback at Notre Dame on Jan. 19. The Lady Vols have three players scoring in double figures led by 12.7 points per game from Isabelle Harrison. Ariel Massengale and Cierra Burdick are also in double figures with 10.5 and 10.2 points per game, respectively. Harrison leads the rebounding efforts with 8.9 rebounds per game. In SEC action, Harrison is averaging 12.9 points while Burdick is contributing 11.5 points per game. Jordan Reynolds is also adding 9.7 points per game against SEC foes. Tennessee is averaging 72.5 points per game, while holding opponents to 54.9 points per game. The Lady Vols are also averaging 42.7 rebounds per game.
About Ole Miss
Senior forward Tia Faleru continues to lead Ole Miss with 15.0 points per game and 10.7 rebounds per game. Faleru has scored in double figures in 19 of Ole Miss' 23 games and has grabbed eight or more rebounds in 20 of Ole Miss' 23 games, with and nine double-doubles on the season which ranks second in the SEC. Faleru, who is in the only player in the SEC averaging a double-double, is the lone player in double figures, but Erika Sisk is nearing double figures with 9.2 points per game while Ole Miss has six players averaging 6.0 points or better. Danielle McCray and A'Queen Hayes are helping Faleru shoulder the rebounding load averaging 4.7 and 4.2 rebounds per game, respectively. In SEC action, Faleru leads the way with 13.4 points, while Erika Sisk is averaging 9.4 points. A'Queen Hayes is also netting 7.4 points per game against SEC foes. As a team, Ole Miss is averaging 67.2 points per game while holding opponents to 63.1 points per game.
On Deck
Ole Miss will hit the road this weekend, traveling to Columbia, Mo., to take on the Missouri Tigers. The game will be tip at 2 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on SECN+
From The Coach
