Rebels Ready for Kids Day vs. Louisiana

			OLE MISS (4-6, 0-0 SEC) vs. LOUISIANA (2-6, 0-0 Sun Belt) Wednesday, Dec. 12 • 11 AM • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Kids Day
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OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women's basketball looks to build off a big win over Savannah State when Louisiana comes to town for the 16th annual Kids Day game at The Pavilion on Wednesday morning. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CT, and the game will air live on SEC Network +.

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (4-6, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 1st Season at Ole Miss (4-6) • 98-69 career record (6th Season)

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (2-6, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Garry Brodhead • 7th Season at UL (111-91) • 111-91 career record (7th season)

ON THE AIR

Television/Online: SEC Network +
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Color: Lindsay Roy

OLE MISS RADIO

Radio: 105.1 FM
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
Audio: RebelVision

SCOUTING LOUISIANA

Current Record: 2-6, 0-0 Sun Belt
• Two averaging double-digit scoring
• Shooting .407 as a team; allowing opponents to shoot .421
• Freshmen accounting for nearly half of all scoring

Series History
Ole Miss leads, 3-1

First Meeting
Dec. 1, 1989
• W, 75-69, in Oxford

Last Meeting
Nov. 15, 2015
• L, 82-78, in Oxford

*Louisiana has previously been known as both UL-Lafayette and Southwestern Louisiana

*Ole Miss and Louisiana also played on Feb. 8, 1974 in Oxford (W, 68-56), but it was before the official beginning of the Rebel women's basketball program at the onset of the 1974-75 season

2017-18 Record: 17-16, 10-8 Sun Belt

Players to Watch

#35 Ty'Reona Doucet
• 16.1 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 1.4 BPG, .605 FG
• Began season with six straight double-doubles
• Had a 20-20 game vs. McNeese State (29 points, 22 rebounds)
• 9th in the NCAA in double-doubles
• Also ranks in the NCAA in rebounds per game (13th, 12.0/game) and field goal percentage (20th, .605)

#2 Brandi Williams
• 11.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 9 3PT

TEAM NOTES

LAST TIME OUT (vs. Savannah State)
Senior Crystal Allen made history and the Ole Miss women's basketball team as a whole dominated in a 74-51 win over Savannah State at The Pavilion on Dec. 8.

The Rebels (4-6) received a complete team performance in the win over the Lady Tigers (2-5), scoring a season-high 74 points alongside a season-high nine three-pointers – five of which came from Allen, who became the 30th Rebel to ever score their 1,000th point in an Ole Miss jersey. Most impressively, Ole Miss had a season-high 21 assists on 26 made field goals, and absolutely dominated the glass by a 62-28 advantage – the first rebounding margin above 30 since Dec. 29, 2009, vs. Centenary (+31).

The catalyst for the Rebels, though, was of course Allen, who exemplified all aspects of the team win despite her historic scoring outing. Allen finished with a career-high 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting and a season-high 5-of-9 mark from beyond the arc. In her last two games, Allen is shooting 8-of-13 from three, while in the last four games Ole Miss as a whole has hit at least 47 percent in each game with a 23-of-45 clip.

More importantly for Allen was the rest of her stat line tonight, as she also finished with career highs in rebounds (8) and assists (6).

Ole Miss received additional double-digit outings from Jhileiya Dunlap (career-high 15 points) and Shandricka Sessom (11 points, six rebounds, 3-of-6 3PT).

Key to the Rebel effort today, however, was the return of starting point guard Mimi Reid, who missed the last two games due to a concussion. In her return, the Rebels set the season high in assists on Reid's career-high eight dimes.

ROAD TO 100
First-year head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin may have just started her Ole Miss career, but she stands just two wins away from hitting the century mark for her career -- currently sitting at an overall mark of 98-69.

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.

REBEL SUCCESS ON KIDS DAY
Kids Day has consistently meant success for Ole Miss, as the Rebels stand at 15-0 heading into the 16th annual version of the event. In those wins, the Rebels have scored an average of 83.5 PPG and won by an average of 24.7 points.

KIDS DAY CONTINUES TO GROW
The annual Kids Day game has turned into a historically attended game, growing exponentially from its beginnings. Ole Miss has shattered its women's basketball overall attendance record at Kids Day in each of the last four years, the most recent being the 8,229 that came to watch the Rebels beat Southern Miss, 68-59, last December.

In total, Ole Miss has brought in 67,111 fans in 15 iterations of Kids Day, an average of 4,744.1 each year. In two years in The Pavilion at Ole Miss, the Rebels are averaging 8,158.5, and the previous 13 seasons in the Tad Smith Coliseum saw an average of 3,907.2.

MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT ON THE GLASS
After struggling in rebounding for stretches throughout the season, Ole Miss put on a dominant display on the boards vs. Savannah State with a +34 rebounding margin at 62-28 -- the first margin more than 30 since a +31 edge vs. Centenary on Dec. 29, 2009. All 10 Rebels that saw the floor recorded at least one rebound, eight recorded at least five, seven had at least six, three had at least seven and two -- Crystal Allen and Cecilia Muhate -- both led with eight boards. Last year, the most Rebels to record at least five rebounds in a single game was six vs. Troy (Nov. 21, 2017).

Ole Miss' 62 boards vs. the Lady Tigers sits as the second-most in the SEC this season (64, Mississippi State vs. Lamar, Nov. 15), and it's the first time the Rebels have gotten more than 60 since hauling in 61 vs. Jacksonville State on Nov. 8, 2013.

SHARING IS CARING
Ole Miss shared the ball with precision and efficiency vs. Savannah State, tallying a season-high 21 assists on just 26 total made field goals. Twice this season the Rebels have been within five, with the other occurrence coming vs. Temple, when the Rebels dished out 20 assists on 23 made field goals. Helping lead the way was starting point guard Mimi Reid, who recorded a career-high eight assists in her first game back following missing two games with a concussion.

OFF THE LINE
Rebel opponents have had a difficult time finding success from beyond the arc, as Ole Miss ranks as the second-best three-point defense in the SEC at an opposing clip of 26.6 percent. Only two of 10 Rebel opponents have been able shoot better than 30 percent, with six shooting 25 percent or worse. Last season Ole Miss held opponents under 30 percent just 10 times all season.

REBS HEAT UP FROM DEEP
In contrast to the stingy Ole Miss three-point defense, the Rebels have begun to find significant success from beyond the arc as of late. In the last four games, Ole Miss is shooting 51.1 percent from three (23-of-45). In the previous four games, Ole Miss shot 29.9 percent from three (20-of-67). A large part of that recent success comes from Crystal Allen (59.1, 13-of-22) and Shandricka Sessom (52.9, 9-of-17), who have combined to sink 22 of those 23 made three-pointers during this stretch.

NO POINTS FOR YOU
Even after allowing 90 points to powerhouse UConn at the Paradise Jam, Ole Miss is still holding opponents to a respectable 61.9 points per game, holding nine of 10 teams this year to 70 or fewer. Of those, five have been held to 60 or fewer. Additionally, just two Rebel opponents have shot better than 38 percent overall from the field this season.

LATE GAME SUCCESS
The Rebels have showed a consistent resiliency throughout the season in the late stages of games, as Ole Miss is currently beating opponents in the fourth quarter by an advantage of 166-139. The Rebels also won the second half in four straight games from Nov. 23-29 by a score of 109-92. Ole Miss has won the fourth quarter in eight games this season, and is shooting 41.9 percent overall and averaging 16.6 points in the final frame.

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 freshmen for Ole Miss have taken that to a new level, accounting for more than three-quarters of all Rebel scoring at 79.0 percent.

Seniors Crystal Allen (176 points, 29.8 percent), Jhileiya Dunlap (79 points, 13.4 percent) and La'Karis Salter (70 points, 11.9 percent) have accounted for 55.1 percent of all Ole Miss scoring by themselves.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

ALLEN BECOMES 30TH REBEL WITH 1,000 PTS
Crystal Allen used a well-rounded career day vs. Savannah State to eclipse the 1,000-point mark in her career, in the process becoming the 30th Rebel to ever score their 1,000th career point while wearing an Ole Miss jersey. Allen scored a career-high 27 points with additional career highs in three-pointers (five), rebounds (eight) and assists (six) to help lead the Rebels to victory. Allen is just the second transfer to score their 1,000th point while at Ole Miss, joining Erika Sisk, who did so early in her senior season in 2016-17. Sisk transferred to Ole Miss following one season at Murray State.

Allen spent the first two years of her career at Seattle (303 points), the next two at UT-Arlington (525), and she is already up to 176 points at Ole Miss. At 1,004 career points scored, Allen is first set to pass Carol Ross at 1,015 points for 29th all-time.

ALLEN THREES
Crystal Allen has been money from three the last few games, hitting 56.5 percent of all Rebel three-pointers in the last four games at a clip of 13-of-22 (.591). In fact, Allen's team-leading 26 three-pointers rank fourth in the SEC (as does her season 43.3 three-point percentage) and represent 54.2 percent of all Rebel three-pointers hit this season (48).

At her pace of 2.6 treys per game, Allen is on pace to sink 78 three-pointers this season -- which would be the second-best three-point shooting season in Ole Miss history.

SESSOM JOINS RARE COMPANY
Redshirt senior Shandricka Sessom has made her way up the all-time scoring list at Ole Miss, but Sessom has recently moved into even more rare company. At 1,208 points and 508 rebounds in her storied career, Sessom is now one of just 13 Rebels to ever eclipse 1,200 points and 500 boards. Throughout her career, Sessom has accumulated game averages of 11.2 points and 4.7 boards per game.

CLASS OF THE SEC
Senior guards Shandricka Sessom and Crystal Allen both have 1,000 career points scored, making Ole Miss one of just three SEC schools with two active players above the 1,000 mark. Sessom ranks fifth among active SEC scorers with 1,208 points, while Allen's 1,004 puts her at 10th in the league.

REID RETURNS
Ole Miss starting point guard Mimi Reid returned for the Rebels vs. Savannah State after missing the previous two games vs. TCU and Jacksonville State with a concussion. Prior to her injury, Reid had started all seven games at the point for the Rebels, averaging 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Her return to the lineup did not disappoint, as she led the Rebels to a season-high 21 assists on 26 made field goals, thanks in part to Reid's career-high eight assists.

Reid ranks fifth in the SEC and leads all SEC freshmen with 4.9 assists per game. Without Reid the previous two games, Ole Miss has set season-lows in assists in both games vs. TCU (10) and Jacksonville State (9). 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.

GET THAT OUTTA HERE!
Junior Jhileiya Dunlap has proven to be an effective jack-of-all-trades on the floor for the Rebels, but she has specifically found a knack for swatting away shots. Dunlap has notched 20 of the 39 total blocks by Ole Miss -- putting her third in the SEC and 23rd in the NCAA at the moment.

REDEMPTION FOR SESSOM
Redshirt senior Shandricka Sessom put the team on her back in a gutsy Rebel performance vs. TCU on Nov. 29, breaking out of a slow start to her final season at Ole Miss with a demonstrative 19-point, 7-rebound performance against the Horned Frogs. It was a season-high scoring effort out of Sessom in just her second double-digit game of the season after returning from a gruesome ACL injury that occurred exactly one year to the day from her offensive explosion vs. TCU.

In the first quarter vs. Middle Tennessee on Nov. 29, 2017, Sessom went down with the knee injury that would sideline her the rest of the season after seven excellent 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.

ALLEN MAKES IT RAIN IN PARADISE
Crystal Allen put together an incredible string of performances at the Paradise Jam, scoring 50 points in three games vs. UConn (11), Purdue (13) and St. John's (26). Allen was named to the All-Tournament team for her efforts after averaging 16.7 PPG in those three games, shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from beyond the arc.

MOVIN' ON UP
Shandricka Sessom ranks as the active career scorer for the Rebels at 1,208 points -- currently sitting at 18th on the Ole Miss all-time scoring list after leap-frogging five Rebels in two games in which she scored 19 (vs. TCU) and 14 (vs. Jacksonville State) for her first back-to-back double-digit games of the year.

Below are the next names on the all-time list coming up next for Sessom:

13. Tia Faleru (2011-15) - 1,440
14. Glenda Springfield (1975-79) - 1,432
15. Jackie Martin-Glass (1987-92) - 1,395
16. Tarsha Bethley (1995-99) - 1,378
17. Marilyn Brooks (1981-85) - 1,308

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.

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.

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 Nov. 14 vs. Temple that Muhate connected, draining 2-of-3 from three-point land to give her 10 points.

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

Cecilia Muhate

Mimi Reid

La'Karis Salter

Shandricka Sessom

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