Rebels Set for Paradise Jam vs. No. 2 UConn, Purdue and St. John’s

			OLE MISS (3-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. #2 UConn (2-0, 0-0 American) Thursday, Nov. 22 • 6:30 PM • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Watch • Listen • Live Stats Ole Miss Game Notes • UConn Game Notes • SEC Game Notes

			OLE MISS (3-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. Purdue (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten) Friday, Nov. 23 • 4:30 PM • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Watch • Listen • Live Stats Ole Miss Game Notes • Purdue Game Notes • SEC Game Notes

			OLE MISS (3-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. St. John's (2-0, 0-0 Big East) Saturday, Nov. 24 • 4:30 PM • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Watch • Listen • Live Stats Ole Miss Game Notes • St. John's Game Notes • SEC Game Notes

ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – Ole Miss is off to a 3-1 start, but will face its toughest test of the season to date with back-to-back-to-back tilts vs. No. 2 UConn (Nov. 22), Purdue (Nov. 23) and St. John's (Nov. 24) at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam this week.

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (3-1, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 1st Season at Ole Miss (3-1) • 97-64 career record (6th Season)

No. 2 UConn Huskies (2-0, 0-0 American) • Nov. 22, 6:30 p.m. CT
Head Coach: Geno Auriemma • 34th Season at UConn (1,028-136) • 1,028-136 career record (34th season)

Purdue Boilermakers (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten) • Nov. 23, 4:30 p.m. CT
Head Coach: Sharon Versyp • 13th Season at Purdue (260-147) • 377-212 career record (19th season)

St. John's Red Storm (2-0, 0-0 Big East) • Nov. 24, 4:30 p.m. CT
Head Coach: Joe Tartamella • 7th Season at St. John's (130-72) • 130-72 career record (7th season)

ON THE AIR

Television/Online: FloHoops (subscription required)
Play-by-Play: Trevor Williams
Color: Kevin Lehman

OLE MISS RADIO

Play-by-Play: Michael Coulter
Color: Lindsay Roy
Radio: 105.1 FM
Audio: TuneIn / RebelVision
* No TuneIn or radio for the UConn game

SCOUTING #2 UCONN

Series History
First meeting

2017-18 Record: 36-1, 16-0
• 10th-straight Final Four
• AAC regular season/tournament champions
• Return six letterwinners, three starters

Players to Watch

Napheesa Collier
• Preseason All-American
• Naismith & Wooden Award Watch List
• 16.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, .609 FG

Crystal Dangerfield
• Preseason All-American
• Naismith & Wooden Award Watch List
• 18.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, .714 FG

Katie Lou Samuelson
• Preseason All-American
• Naismith & Wooden Award Watch List
• 17.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, .818 FT

SCOUTING PURDUE

Series History
Ole Miss leads, 1-0

First/Last Meeting
Dec. 21, 1993 (W, 62-54, in San Juan)

2017-18 Record: 20-14, 9-7
• WNIT Third Round
• Return eight letterwinners, four starters

Players to Watch

Karissa McLaughlin
• 17.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, .425 FG

Dominique Oden
• Preseason All-Big Ten
• 15.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 SPG, .515 FG

Ae'Rianna Harris
• Preseason All-Big Ten
• 12.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.7 BPG

SCOUTING ST. JOHN'S

Series History
Ole Miss leads, 1-0

First/Last Meeting
Dec. 29, 1992 (W, 62-56, in Jamaica, N.Y.)

2017-18 Record: 19-15, 9-9
• WNIT Quarterfinals
• Return seven letterwinners, three starters

Players to Watch

Akina Wellere
• Preseason All-Big East
• 12.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, .450 FG

Qadashah Hoppie
• 2018 Big East Freshman of the Year
• 10.0 PPG

Kadaja Bailey
• 10.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, .500 FG

TEAM NOTES

ABOUT THE PARADISE JAM (via ParadiseJam.com)
The U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam is an annual early-season basketball tournament for Division I men's and women's basketball teams. Hosted at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports & Fitness Center on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the tournament offers excellent early season competition in an exotic island setting. Founded in 2000, many of the nation's finest college student-athletes have converged on St. Thomas to test their skills and enjoy the tropical November weather.

Since 2001, the tournament has been played at the 3,500-seat UVI Sports and Fitness Center. Coaches and student-athletes alike have praised the venue for its custom hardwood floor, air-conditioning, and frequent sellout crowds.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam also provides an outlet for youth involvement. Local high school youth are recruited as junior staff members to assist tournament administrators in running the event. Students learn about service, sales, hospitality, media relations, and other skills working alongside experienced staff members. Other youth participate in steel pan bands during welcome receptions or in school bands performing during halftime presentations.

As the second-largest tourist event on the island behind Carnival, the Paradise Jam provides an important boost to the local economy and tourism industry. The two-week, 16-team tournament brings in an estimated 3,000 people to the islands who spend tourism dollars on hotels, restaurants, transportation, service, and island souvenirs.

LAST TIME OUT (vs. Western Michigan)
Ole Miss had to dig deep, but it found the resilience to hold on in a nail-biting finish to beat Western Michigan, 69-66, at The Pavilion on Nov. 18.

The Rebels (3-1) had a smooth first half, jumping out to a 40-29 halftime lead, but the Broncos (1-3) lit up the scoreboard in the third quarter (21-9) to make it a game in the fourth. From there, the senior duo of Crystal Allen (19 points) and La'Karis Salter (13 points, 12 rebounds) took control, scoring a combined 16 points in the fourth quarter alone to help push Ole Miss over the edge.

It was that disappointing third quarter that helped spark the fourth-quarter heroics out of Allen and Salter, who were both held scoreless in the third frame. Salter scored five in a row for Ole Miss before Allen knocked a three while falling backwards to give the Rebels the spark they needed with an 8-0 run to open the quarter.

The Broncos were able to get within one a few times, including with just 11.8 seconds to play, but Ole Miss took advantage of their free chances, converting 17-of-22 from the free throw line – including a 9-of-12 clip in the fourth quarter alone.

ROAD TO 100
First-year head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin may have just started her Ole Miss career, but she stands just three wins away from hitting the century mark for her career -- currently sitting at an overall mark of 97-64.

McPhee-McCuin is in her sixth season overall as a head coach, spending the previous five seasons as the head coach at Jacksonville. There, she guided the Dolphins to a 94-63 overall record, three-straight 20-win seasons and three postseason appearances.

OLE MISS VS. AP TOP-10
The Rebels have been able to snag 29 wins all-time vs. opposing teams ranked within the top-10 of the AP poll, the last coming on Jan. 21, 2016 vs No. 9 Kentucky in The Pavilion (73-65).

The last time Ole Miss defeated a school ranked No. 2 or higher came on Jan. 18, 1992, vs. No. 2 Tennessee (80-78, OT).

DEFENSE! DEFENSE!
It hasn't taken a lot of points for the Rebels to start off 3-1, as the Ole Miss defense has had some early success to help lead the way. Ole Miss ranks within the top-half of the SEC in three-point defense (.220, 4th), FG defense (.333, 5th), scoring defense (57.2, 6th), blocks (5.8/game, 7th) and turnover margin (+2.75, 7th).

Ole Miss has held all four opponents to under 70 points, including 55 points or fewer in wins vs. Norfolk State (42) and Temple (55). Just one Rebel opponent has been able to shoot better than 35 percent from the field overall (Western Michigan, 38.2), and none have been able to convert more than 25 percent of their three-point attempts.

Defense was particularly the name of the game for Ole Miss vs. Norfolk State, holding the Spartans to several scoreless droughts of five minutes or longer – including a streak of 5:29 to close the game – forcing 24 NSU turnovers, tallying 11 steals and holding them to a shooting percentage of 26.5 from the floor.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Free throws became crucial down the stretch in the Rebels' win over Western Michigan on Nov. 18, hitting 17-of-22 overall from the charity stripe -- 9-of-12 alone in the fourth quarter.

Ole Miss currently ranks third in the SEC in free throw shooting, converting 70.1 percent of its attempts.

SHARING IS CARING
Ole Miss also ranks within the upper echelon of the SEC in assists, dishing out 15.8 dimes per game through the first three contests. Against Temple on Nov. 14, the Rebels tallied a season-high 20 assists beside a season-low 11 turnovers for a margin of +9 -- the best margin for the Rebels since Jan. 1, 2017 vs. Arkansas (+9). That +9 effort is just the fourth game in the last three seasons to have at least an advantage of nine.

Ole Miss has recorded at last 13 assists in each game, the first four-game stretch in a single season since doing so five games in a row from Jan. 22-Feb. 9, 2017. Ole Miss had 12 assists in the first half alone vs. Norfolk State in the season opener. Last season, Ole Miss had 14 entire games where it did not reach the 12-assist plateau.

NEWCOMERS TAKING CHARGE
With nearly a brand-new roster, it's easy to assume that the Rebel newcomers would be statistically proficient. But the new transfers and freshman for Ole Miss have taken that to a new level, accounting for more than three-quarters of all Rebel scoring thus far a 78.3 percent.

Seniors Crystal Allen (72 points, 28.9 percent) and La'Karis Salter (39 points, 15.7 percent) have accounted for 44.6 percent of all Ole Miss scoring by themselves.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

REID NAMED SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Ole Miss starting point guard Mimi Reid was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for her efforts in Rebel wins vs. Temple and Western Michigan.

Reid averaged 6.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in those two games, recording a career-high 11 rebounds against WMU. Coupled with La'Karis Salter's 12 rebounds, the game marked the first time since Jan. 1, 2017 that multiple Rebels had recorded double-digit rebounds.

Reid is averaging 5.0 assists per game this year, currently tied for the fourth-best average in the SEC.

CRYSTAL SHARP
Grad transfer Crystal Allen has been the offensive catalyst for the Rebels thus far this season, accounting for nearly a third of all Ole Miss scoring just four games into her Rebel career. Allen has scored at least 16 points in all four of her games as a Rebel thus far, giving her 72 points this year at an average of 18.0 PPG -- fifth-best in the SEC. She dropped 21 points in a loss vs. IUPUI on Nov. 9, which at the time registered as the sixth-best scoring output in the conference this season.

Allen came to Ole Miss following two seasons at UT-Arlington and two seasons at Seattle. Her final year at UT-Arlington, Allen earned Third-Team All-Sun Belt after helping lead the Mavericks to an 18-12 season with 11.7 PPG.

NO REST FOR CRYSTAL
Crystal Allen hasn't seen much of the bench this season, currently ranking second in the SEC in minutes at 35.8 per game -- the most by a Rebel this year by more than four minutes over starting point guard Mimi Reid's 31.5 minutes per game.

ALLEN NEARING 1,000 POINTS
Crystal Allen is getting close to becoming the 30th Rebel to ever surpass the 1,000-point mark for her career, currently sitting at 900. She scored 303 while at Seattle, 525 while at UT-Arlington, and she is already up to 72 points through three games as a Rebel.

SALTER HEATING UP OFFENSIVELY
Senior La'Karis Salter has been a steady force for the Rebels in rebounding, leading Ole Miss with 7.5 boards per game thus far, but it was her last two games vs. Temple (14 points, 5-of-7 FG) and Western Michigan (13 points, 12 rebounds) that have seen her get more involved in the scoring game. Her double-double vs. the Broncos is the first of her career, and the second by a Rebel this season after Jhileiya Dunlap's season-opening 12 point, 10 rebound outing.

CRAWFORD CLEARED
Freshman Gabby Crawford had just two hours advance notice that she was cleared and immediately eligible to play vs. Temple on Nov. 14 night, and the four-star recruit out of Munford, Tennessee, did not waste the opportunity. In just 15 minutes of action, Crawford put up six points, hauled three rebounds and blocked two shots.

Crawford was originally committed to Alabama before transferring to Ole Miss at the beginning of the semester.

CECI FROM...THREE?
Senior Cecilia Muhate may have found a new way to contribute offensively for the Rebels with a newfound ability to shoot the deep ball. In her three seasons prior, Muhate had never even attempted a three-pointer, but in the season-opener vs. Norfolk State, Muhate put up three attempts from beyond the arc. It wasn't until last Wednesday vs. Temple where Muhate connected, draining 2-of-3 from three-point land to give her 10 points -- her first double-digit scoring game since scoring 10 points vs. South Alabama on Dec. 9, 2017.

GET THAT OUTTA HERE!
Junior Jhileiya Dunlap has proven to be an effective jack-of-all-trades on the floor through three games as a Rebel, but she has specifically found a knack for swatting away shots. Through three games, Dunlap has notched 10 of the 23 total blocks by Ole Miss -- putting her fourth in the SEC and 14th in the NCAA at the moment.

DUNLAP'S BIG DEBUT
A return from shoulder injury wasn't going to slow down junior Jhileiya Dunlap in her first game as a Rebel vs. Norfolk State, proving her talent immediately as an all-around player. Dunlap notched the first Rebel double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 boards, but she didn't stop there, tallying four blocks, three steals and two assists in the effort as well.

Dunlap spent the previous two seasons at Gulf Coast State Community College, where she was part of two NJCAA semifinalist teams -- including a national title team in 2017. Dunlap was the Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina in 2015-16 coming out of high school.

REDEMPTION FOR SESSOM
Redshirt senior Shandricka Sessom returns for one last go-round in a Rebel jersey following a gruesome ACL injury vs. Middle Tennessee last season after just seven games played. Sessom, who was averaging 17.7 PPG at the time of her injury, was awarded a fifth year of eligibility on a medical hardship waiver.

MOVIN' ON UP
Shandricka Sessom ranks as the active career scorer for the Rebels at 1,151 points -- currently the 24th-most in Ole Miss history. Sessom became the 28th 1,000-point scorer in program history vs. Texas A&M on Feb. 26, 2017. In her three full seasons of play, she averaged 341.6 points. If she were to maintain that average this season, Sessom would finish her career ranked 13th all-time.

Below are the next few ahead of her on the list:

19. Erika Sisk (2012-17) - 1,187
20. Charlotte Banks (1989-92) - 1,181
21. Shawn Goff (2005-09) - 1,179
22. Amber Watts (2001-05) - 1,169
23. Kris Stratton (1978-81) - 1,164

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Ole Miss has five seniors in 2018-19, with returnees Cecilia Muhate, Torri Lewis and Shandricka Sessom joining newcomer transfers Crystal Allen (UT-Arlington) and La'Karis Salter (Jacksonville) in the senior class.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Crystal Allen (UT-Arlington) and La'Karis Salter (Jacksonville) aren't the only newcomers to the Rebel roster. Other transfers include junior Jhileiya Dunlap from Gulf Coast State Community College, junior Shannon Dozier from Odessa College, and junior Deja Cage from DePaul. Cage will have to sit the 2018-19 season out due to NCAA rules.

Ole Miss also welcomed four new freshmen to Oxford this fall in Gabby Crawford (Munford, Tenn.), Mahogany Matthews (Raeford, N.C.), Taylor Smith (Marietta, Ga.) and Iyanla Kitchens (Lithonia, Ga.).

A NEW ERA
Ole Miss women's basketball stands on the cusp of a new era with Yolett McPhee-McCuin entering her first season as the ninth head coach in program history. McPhee-McCuin was named head coach on April 4, 2018 and introduced in a public ceremony two days later on April 6.

McPhee-McCuin, who also serves as the national coach for her native Bahamas, comes to Ole Miss following five seasons at Jacksonville, where she took the Dolphins to heights never before glimpsed in the history of the program. Her JU teams notched three-straight 20-win seasons to close out her career there, despite Jacksonville only recording two seasons above the 20-win plateau prior to her arrival.

Yolett McPhee-McCuin Coaching Career:
2019-Pres. -- Ole Miss, Head Coach
2014-18 -- Jacksonville, Head Coach
2011-13 -- Clemson, Assistant Coach
2009-10 -- Pittsburgh, Assistant Coach
2008 -- Portland, Assistant Coach
2006-07 -- Ark.-Pine Bluff, Assistant Coach
2005 -- Frank Phillips College, Assistant Coach

Record at Jacksonville:

Total (Five Seasons): 94-63, 50-24 ASUN

2017-18
24-9, 12-2 (2nd ASUN)
ASUN Tournament Runners-Up
WNIT First Round

2016-17
23-9, 11-3 (3rd ASUN)
ASUN Tournament Runners-Up
WNIT First Round

2015-16
22-11, 11-3 (2nd ASUN)
ASUN Tournament Champions
NCAA Tournament First Round

2014-15
12-17, 6-8 (4th ASUN)

2013-14
13-17, 10-8 (5th ASUN)

NEW STAFF
McPhee-McCuin's first task once arriving in Oxford was to surround herself with a brand new coaching staff. For her first season, that cast includes Chris Ayers, Tony Greene, and Ole Miss All-American Armintie Herrington, who was promoted from her previous position as the Coordinator of Player Engagement.

Chris Ayers - First Season
• Spent a decade in the high school and AAU ranks prior
• Has coached more than 100 athletes who went on to play either collegiately, professionally or both
• Graduate manager at Georgia Tech in 2017-18

Tony Greene - First Season
• More than 20 years of experience collegiately
• Has been part of 11 total postseason berths
• Conference Player of the Year at Langston

Armintie Herrington - Fifth Season
• Seventh season on staff at Ole Miss, the fifth as an assistant coach after serving from 2009-12
• No. 3 pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft (Chicago Sky)
• In 2007, became second player in NCAA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists and 400 steals

MORE NEW FACES
McPhee-McCuin has also brought on a new support staff, while keeping on sixth-year senior athletic trainer Meredith Pendergast.

Dana Rieger
Director of Operations

Tim Boeni
Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach

Michonné Gamble-Rivers
Coordinator of Player Development

Ed Mahan
Coordinator of Video Services

Chelsea Wolf
Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting

Sandy Dickinson
Recruiting Assistant

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
Ole Miss will be featured on national television seven times during the regular season, with all seven appearances on SEC Network. First up is a home contest in the Big 12/SEC Contest vs. TCU on Nov. 29. Other home games on SEC Network include a Jan. 6 tilt vs. Arkansas and a Jan. 20 showdown with Florida. The remaining SEC Network games all come on the road at Kentucky (Jan. 13), at Mississippi State (Jan. 27), at Georgia (Feb. 18) and at Arkansas (Feb. 24). Additionally, all non-televised home games and road SEC games will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB on Instagram at Ole MissWBB and on Snapchat with the handle @OleMissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on Twitter at @YolettMcCuin

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Players Mentioned

Crystal Allen

Deja Cage

Gabby Crawford

Shannon Dozier

Iyanla Kitchens

Torri Lewis

Mahogany Matthews

Cecilia Muhate

Mimi Reid

La'Karis Salter

Shandricka Sessom

Taylor Smith

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