Rebels Return Home to Host Florida

			OLE MISS (7-11, 1-3 SEC) vs. FLORIDA (5-12, 1-3 SEC) Sunday, Jan. 20 • 3 PM • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Powder Blue Out • Alumni Weekend • Bingo Day • Postgame Autographs • We Back Pat
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OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women's basketball is ready for a packed day of action at The Pavilion and on national TV, when the Rebels will host Florida for a Sunday afternoon tilt on SEC Network. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT.

PROMOTIONS
• Powder Blue Out
• Alumni Weekend
• Bingo Day
• Postgame Autographs
• We Back Pat

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (7-11, 1-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 1st Season at Ole Miss (7-11) • 101-74 career record (6th Season)

Florida Gators (5-12, 1-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Cameron Newbauer • 2nd Season at Florida (16-31) • 95-81 career record (6th season)

ON THE AIR

Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Courtney Lyle
Color: Christy Thomaskutty

OLE MISS RADIO

Radio: 105.1 FM
Audio: TuneIn / RebelVision
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
Color: Lindsay Roy

SERIES NOTES (Florida leads, 21-18)
At Oxford: Florida leads 12-6
At Gainesville: Tied 9-9
At Neutral Sites: Ole Miss leads 3-0
Longest UM Streak: 8 (1979-1992)
Longest UF Streak: 11 (1993-2002)
Biggest UM Win: 24 (1/16/88 - at Gainesville)
Biggest UF Win: 29 (2/17/00; 2/5/12)
Most UM Points: 101 (3/8/78 - at Starkville)
Most UF Points: 86 (2/7/99 - at Oxford)
Last 10 Meetings: Tied 5-5

SCOUTING FLORIDA

Current Record: 5-12, 1-3 SEC
• RPI: 201
• Coming off 58-56 win over Missouri on Jan. 13
• Ranks 20th nationally in threes attempted (435), 41st in threes made (133)
• Second in the SEC in fewest fouls committed (271)
• Only team in the SEC this season with two 30-point individual outings
• Two averaging double-digits
• Three with at least 35 assists
• Yielding 41.9 percent shooting to opponents

Series History
Florida leads, 21-18

First Meeting
March 8, 1979
• W, 101-78, in Auburn, Ala.
• First Round of AIAW Region III Tournament
• One of five games in Ole Miss history in which the Rebels scored 100 points or more against a current or future SEC school
• Third-most points scored by Ole Miss over a current or future SEC school, second-most in regulation (scored 107 vs. Auburn on Dec. 8, 1978)

Last Meeting
Feb. 28, 2018
• W, 48-43, in Nashville
• First Round of SEC Tournament
• Lowest scoring Rebel win since Jan. 25, 1984 (46-45, vs. Auburn)

Players to Watch

#3 Funda Nakkasoglu
• 16.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, .486 FG, .469 3PT, .906 FT
• 46 threes made (3.1/game)
• Second-best active career scorer in the SEC with 1,814 career points scored
• Leads the SEC at 3.1 threes per game
• Ranks 9th nationally with 46.9 three-point percentage
• Also ranks 26th in the NCAA in threes per game (3.1) and 40th in threes made (46)
• Ranks in the SEC top-10 in: three-point percentage (second, .469), minutes (second, 35.1/game), FG percentage (sixth, .486), scoring (eighth, 16.6 PPG)
• One of 10 SEC players this year to score 30 or more points in a game (30, vs. Charleston Southern, Dec. 30)

#00 Delicia Washington
• 11.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.9 APG
• 6th SEC in rebounding (8.1/game)
• Owns the second-best scoring game in the SEC this year, 33 points at Mercer on Nov. 15; only trails Ole Miss' Crystal Allen's 34 points vs. North Florida on Dec. 28

TEAM NOTES

LAST TIME OUT (vs. #16 Kentucky)
Ole Miss shut down a potent Kentucky offense and withstood a wild fourth quarter to prevail 55-49, defeating the 16th-ranked Wildcats to give head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin her first career SEC win in high fashion.

The Rebels (7-11, 1-3 SEC) were relentless wire-to-wire, forcing a Kentucky (15-3, 2-2 SEC) team without its top scorer Maci Morris into a defensive battle where momentum was the most precious commodity. Ole Miss grasped at that momentum last, with senior Crystal Allen exploding in the second half, and the fourth quarter in particular, to give the Rebels their first win at Kentucky since 2007 (Jan. 14, 2007; 67-65, OT) and their first ranked win on the road since 2011 (at No. 23 Arkansas, Jan. 23, 2011; 69-65).

Ole Miss was never out of the hunt, fighting tooth-and-nail all game after having not held a lead in SEC play entering the game. The Rebel defense, coming off a strong performance against LSU on Jan. 10, put together another great day, forcing 19 Wildcat turnovers and limiting the UK scoring to freshman Rhyne Howard (20 points, 11 rebounds, four assists).

Senior La'Karis Salter was the catalyst for the Rebels in the first half, leading the charge with eight of her 12 points in the first two quarters. Salter ended with her second career double-double at 12 points and 10 rebounds, and she chipped in three assists, three blocks and three steals in the complete team effort.

Fellow senior Crystal Allen was mysteriously quiet in the first half, scoring only two points in that stretch as the Rebels only trailed 21-15 (the fewest points Kentucky scored in the first half all season). Allen went on a tear in the back half, though, lighting up the net for 26 points to give her 28 on the day – her seventh 20-point game this season. Allen was a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe.

Aside from this being the first win at Kentucky and the first road ranked win in some time, this was also the first overall ranked win since Dec. 14, 2016 vs. No. 25 Oregon (83-67), the first SEC win since Jan. 7, 2018 vs. Florida (78-75, 2OT), the first SEC road win since Feb. 6, 2017 at Florida (85-75) and the first overall win vs. Kentucky since defeating the 9th-ranked Wildcats, 73-65, on Jan. 21, 2016.

HISTORY IN LEXINGTON
Ole Miss rolled out of Lexington in high spirits, coming away with a win at Kentucky for the first time since 2007. That year, the Rebels came away with a 67-65 win in overtime, with current Ole Miss assistant coach and Rebel All-American Armintie Price Herrington recording a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. The win was also the first on the road against a ranked opponent since Jan. 23, 2011 at No. 23 Arkansas (69-65) and the first against Kentucky in general since the 2015-16 season when the Rebels took down the 9th-ranked Wildcats in Oxford, 73-65. This Sunday, Ole Miss will be looking for its first back-to-back conference wins since the 2016-17 season. The Rebels have only been able to string at least two consecutive SEC wins four times and three wins twice since 2009-10, the last season that Ole Miss was able to win four or more in a row in conference play. Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin is looking to join Van Chancellor, Carol Ross and Renee Ladner as the only Rebel head coaches to win at least two of their first five SEC contests.

FLASHBACK: vs. Florida, Jan. 7, 2018
The lone regular season SEC win for Ole Miss last season came in a double overtime thriller vs. Florida, with the Rebels prevailing, 78-75. That win was a peculiar one, as entering the contest, the Rebels held the 10th-longest overtime drought in the NCAA at 96 consecutive games. It marked the first OT game for Ole Miss since Dec. 29, 2014 (vs. SE Louisiana, W, 79-71), the first SEC OT game since March 3, 2014 (vs. Auburn, W, 73-71), the first multiple OT game since Feb. 7, 2010 (at LSU, W, 102-101, 3OT) and the first multiple OT game at home since 2007 (vs. Arkansas, W, 90-87, 2OT).

VARIETY IN THE STARTING LINEUP
Ole Miss has opened conference play with four brand-new starting lineups vs. Mizzou, Arkansas, LSU and Kentucky, the eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th different starting sets for the Rebels this season, respectively. All four lineups have included at least two freshmen, with the game vs. Arkansas containing four: Gabby Crawford, Mahogany Matthews, Mimi Reid and Taylor Smith. Of the 11 Rebels that have seen the floor this season, 10 have been in the starting lineup at least once.

The longest running lineup of the season thus far has been that of redshirt freshman Mimi Reid (point guard), senior Crystal Allen (guard), senior Shandricka Sessom (guard), junior Jhileiya Dunlap (forward) and senior Cecilia Muhate (forward). That lineup has gone 3-3 this season.

DAUNTING SCHEDULE AHEAD
Ole Miss has had a fairly strong non-conference schedule with the likes of current RPI top-100 teams like UConn (No. 6), Purdue (No. 46), TCU (No. 65) and Troy (No. 88), but the SEC slate has been and will prove to be as difficult as ever, with six conference schools all within the top-50 and three within the top-30. Ole Miss currently holds the No. 51 toughest schedule according to the NCAA's strength of schedule index.

OFF THE LINE
Rebel opponents have often had a difficult time finding success from beyond the arc this season, as Ole Miss is currently holding teams to just 29.7 percent from three. Ole Miss has held 11 opponents to less than 30 percent from three, including seven that shot 25 percent or worse. Last season, Ole Miss held opponents under 30 percent just 10 times all season. At LA Tech, the Rebels held the Lady Techsters to an opponent season-low 16.7 percent clip from beyond the arc.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN, YES!
In contrast to the Ole Miss three-point defense, the Rebels have also found success offensively from beyond the arc. After not breaking better than 33 percent in the first six games of the season, Ole Miss went on to shoot at least 33 percent or better in seven of the final eight games in non-conference. That included a stretch of four straight at 47 percent or above and three in a row atop the 50 percent plateau. During that four-game stretch from Nov. 24 (vs. St. John's) to Dec. 8 (vs. Savannah State), the Rebels shot 23-of-45 (51.1 percent). In that span, Ole Miss seniors Crystal Allen (59.1, 13-of-22) and Shandricka Sessom (52.9, 9-of-17) combined for 95.7 of all three-pointers made.

Just recently, the Rebels made a season-high 14 three-pointers vs. North Florida, tied for the fifth-most in school history and the third-best team output in the SEC this season. Helping greatly in that effort was nine threes alone from Allen, the second-most by a Rebel in school history. Overall this season, Ole Miss is shooting 33 percent from three (95-of-288), the sixth-best clip in the SEC.

SHARING IS CARING
Controlling the game with an efficient offense has been crucial for the Rebels this season, as Ole Miss has gone 5-3 in games where it tallies more assists than its opponent but 2-8 on the opposite end of the spectrum. Ole Miss has only recorded 31 total assists through four conference games, but the Rebels had a stellar non-conference season sharing the ball. In 14 non-conference games, Ole Miss had at least 15 assists in seven games, with at least 20 in four contests. By contrast, the Rebels only eclipsed the 20-assist mark three times throughout the entire 2017-18 season.

The Rebels had impressive success sharing the ball over a three-game stretch of at least 18 assists from Dec. 8-15, the first three-game streak for Ole Miss since Dec. 10-17, 2016. In back-to-back outings vs. Savannah State (21) and Louisiana (24), Ole Miss recorded the first consecutive contests with at least 20 assists since doing so in two straight on Dec. 21, 2011 (22, vs. Cleveland State) and Dec. 29, 2011 (24, vs. Southeastern Louisiana). The Rebels have not dished out 20 or more assists in three consecutive games since a three-game stretch from Nov. 13-20, 2009, with three games vs. Southeastern Louisiana (24; Nov. 13), Sam Houston State (27; Nov. 17) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (26; Nov. 20). Additionally, the +11 assist/turnover ratio vs. Louisiana (24 assists, 13 turnovers) on Dec. 12 was the best for Ole Miss since a +12 edge in a win over No. 25 Oregon on Dec. 14, 2016 (19 assists, seven turnovers).

EARLY SUCCESS = WINS
When the Rebel offense has gotten off to a strong start, it has meant good things for Ole Miss by game's end. The Rebels are 6-1 when holding a lead at halftime, sitting ahead by an average of 11.3 points each time.

OFF THE GLASS
Currently, Ole Miss is 6-2 in games when out-rebounding opponents, but just 1-8 when getting beat on the glass. The Rebels average 37.6 rebounds per game -- 44.3 in wins, 33.3 in losses.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

ALLEN'S ALL-SEC RESUME
Ole Miss redshirt senior Crystal Allen has been the center of attention for opposing defenses all season long, and it proves in the stat sheet. After two seasons at Seattle and two at UT-Arlington, Allen's lone season in the SEC has proven to be a superb one:

• Only Rebel to have started all 18 games
• Leads SEC in total points (333)
• Leads SEC in threes made (52)
• 2nd in SEC with 18.5 PPG
• Ranks 2nd with 19.5 PPG in SEC play
• Ranks in SEC top-10 in: threes per game (2nd, 2.9), free throw percentage (3rd, .831), minutes (4th, 35.0/game) and three-point percentage (7th, .364)
• Ranks in the NCAA top-100 in 12 categories
• Ranks in the NCAA top-25 in: FG attempts (11th, 284), threes attempted (17th, 143), threes made (18th, 52), minutes (19th, 630) and total points (19th, 333)
• Seven 20-point games
• Double-digits in 16 of 18 games played
• Most points by anyone in a single game in the SEC this season (34, vs. North Florida)
• Second-most points in a conference game (28, at No. 16 Kentucky)
• In a blistering three-game stretch from Dec. 19 to Jan. 3, averaged 26.3 PPG and sank 15 threes in three consecutive 20-point outings.

MONEY FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
Senior Crystal Allen has been on fire from the free throw line in the last two games, going 19-of-20 from the charity stripe after games vs. LSU (9-of-10) and at No. 16 Kentucky (10-of-10). Allen has not had more than one miss from the free throw line in her last eight games, going 37-of-43 (.860) in that stretch (she shoots .831 overall).

ALLEN ON PACE FROM THREE
Crystal Allen has been money from three for the Rebels this year, draining 52 of the 95 Ole Miss treys this year (54.7 percent). At her pace of 2.9 treys per game, Allen is on pace to sink 83 three-pointers this season -- which would be the second-best three-point shooting season in Ole Miss history behind Bianca Thomas' 100 threes from 2009-10.

SIGNIFICANT PLAYING TIME FOR ALLEN
Being the main offensive catalyst for the Rebels has resulted in an immense workload for senior Crystal Allen, who has rarely come off the floor over the last month. After only playing 35 minutes or more three times in the first 11 games of the year, Allen has played at least 35 in each of the last seven games dating back to a 40-minute outing at Louisiana Tech, averaging 36.9 minutes per game in that stretch -- which accounts for 92.3 percent of all available court time. In those seven games, Allen is averaging 19.9 PPG and has made 23 threes. Allen ranks 19th in the NCAA in total minutes played (630), and she ranks fourth in the SEC at 35.0 minutes per game.

YOU GO, WE GO
In Rebel wins, senior Crystal Allen is averaging 22.6 PPG (32.8 percent of all Rebel scoring) while shooting 46.2 percent overall, 45.8 percent from three (27-of-59) and 84.6 percent from the free throw line.

HISTORIC DAY FOR ALLEN
Senior Crystal Allen set the net on fire with a historic offensive showing vs. North Florida on Dec. 28, becoming the first Rebel to earn SEC Player of the Week honors since Shequila Joseph on Jan. 26, 2016. Allen poured in a career-high 34 points vs. the Ospreys, the most points scored by anyone in the SEC this season. Allen was 11-of-17 from the field, which also included an absurd 9-of-15 line from beyond the arc, the second-most threes in a single-game in Ole Miss history and the most by anyone in the SEC this season by two. Remarkably, Allen nailed five of her nine three-pointers in the first quarter alone. Allen set women's Pavilion records in both points and threes made, and her nine threes rank tied for the third-most in a single game in the NCAA this season.

Her 34-point performance is the highest scoring output by a Rebel since current senior Torri Lewis notched 36 vs. New Orleans as a freshman on Dec. 14, 2015 – the same game she set the Ole Miss three-pointer single-game record with 10 treys (which still ties for the third-most in NCAA history for a single game).

SALTER HEATING UP
Senior La'Karis Salter recorded her second career double-double at No. 16 Kentucky, recording 12 points and 10 rebounds to help lead Ole Miss to the big ranked road win. Salter has scored at least nine points in each of her last three games after not eclipsing more than six points in nine of her previous 10 games. The Rebels are 3-1 when Salter has double-digit points and at least five rebounds.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR DRIQUE
Senior Shandricka Sessom recorded her eighth career double-double vs. LSU on Jan. 10, notching 11 points and 10 rebounds in the effort. It was the first double-double for Sessom since Nov. 21, 2017, when she put up 15 points and 10 rebounds vs. Troy before a season-ending injury later that month.

BACK IN THE SADDLE
After a slow start to the season following her return from a season-ending knee injury last year, senior Shandricka Sessom has resumed her role as a consistent offensive outlet for the Rebels. Sessom only scored 5.5 points per game in her first six games played, but has gone on to score 11.7 per game since. That increase included a five-game stretch of double-digit games, among which was a 20-point game at LA Tech. Sessom is averaging 9.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

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 1,293 points and 559 rebounds in her storied career, Sessom is one of just 13 Rebels to ever eclipse 1,200 points and 500 boards. Throughout her career, Sessom has accumulated game averages of 11.1 points and 4.8 boards per game.

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.

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 sixth among active SEC scorers with 1,293 points, while Allen's 1,161 puts her at 10th in the league.

MIMI DIRECTING TRAFFIC
Redshirt freshman point guard Mimi Reid has been a true general on the floor for the Rebels in her first season of action, spearheading what has become an efficient Rebel offensive attack. Reid is the only player in the SEC this season with separate games of 11+ assists (vs. Louisiana, career-high). and 11+ rebounds (vs. Western Michigan, career-high).

Reid leads all SEC freshmen and ranks sixth among all freshmen nationally with 77 assists, putting her average of 4.8 per game at No. 4 in the SEC. In the two games that she missed vs. TCU (L, 55-50) and Jacksonville State (L, 60-49) due to a concussion, Ole Miss tallied just 19 total assists. In two triumphant wins over Savannah State and Louisiana upon her return, Reid herself accumulated 19 assists.

JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES
Junior Jhileiya Dunlap has been the Swiss Army knife for the Rebels this season, ranking as a top contributor across several different categories. Dunlap is averaging 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds 1.7 blocks, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game for Ole Miss, shooting .459 overall and starting in 10 of 18 games played. Most impressively, Dunlap is one of just two currently in the SEC to have recorded at least 25 blocks (31) and 25 assists (28). Overall, Dunlap ranks 42nd in the NCAA and fifth in the SEC in blocks, accounting for 44.3 percent of all Rebel swats this season.

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

Gabby Crawford

Torri Lewis

Mahogany Matthews

Cecilia Muhate

Mimi Reid

La'Karis Salter

Shandricka Sessom

Taylor Smith

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