Rebels to Host Auburn on Thursday Night

			OLE MISS (8-13, 2-5 SEC) vs. AUBURN (15-5, 3-4 SEC) Thursday, Jan. 31 • 7 PM • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Landshark Tony Coin Banks
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OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women's basketball opens a brief homestand when the Auburn Tigers roll into The Pavilion for a Thursday night contest. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the game will air live on SEC Network +.

PROMOTIONS
• First 500 fans receive a Landshark Tony coin bank

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (8-13, 2-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 1st Season at Ole Miss (8-13) • 102-76 career record (6th Season)

Auburn Tigers (15-5, 3-4 SEC)
Head Coach: Terri Williams-Flournoy • 7th Season at Auburn (117-96) • 260-200 career record (16th season)

ON THE AIR

Television/Online: SEC Network +
Play-by-Play: Seth Austin
Color: John Stroud

OLE MISS RADIO

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

SERIES HISTORY (Auburn leads, 35-25)
At Oxford: Ole Miss leads 13-11
At Auburn: Auburn leads 18-8
At Neutral Sites: Auburn leads 6-4
Longest UM Streak: 5 (1978-1983)
Longest AU Streak: 9 (1987-1991)
Biggest UM Win: 45 (12/8/78 - at Auburn)
Biggest AU Win: 26 (3/2/91; 3/25/89; 1/8/17)
Most UM Points: 107 (12/8/78 - at Auburn)
Most AU Points: 82 (2/24/05; 2/12/04)
Last 10 Meetings: Auburn leads 7-3

SERIES NOTES

Series History
Auburn leads, 35-25

Current Streak
Auburn, 1

First Meeting
Dec. 8, 1978
• W, 107-62, at Auburn
• Most points scored over an SEC opponent

Last Meeting
Feb. 25, 2018
• L, 60-55, at Auburn

Last Time in Oxford
Feb. 16, 2017
• W, 63-59

Last Win
Feb. 16, 2017
• W, 63-59, in Oxford

SCOUTING AUBURN

Current Record: 15-5, 3-4 SEC
• RPI: 54
• Leads SEC, ranks third in the NCAA in total steals (247), fifth in steals per game (12.4)
• Ranks sixth in the NCAA in turnover margin (+7.95), 18th in turnovers forced (21.5/game)
• Also ranks in the SEC top-five in: field goal percentage (second, .441), turnover margin (second, +7.95), scoring offense (third, 76.4 PPG), scoring margin (fifth, +11.2), three-point percentage (fifth, .339), assist/turnover ratio (fifth, 1.0) and threes made (fifth, 7.1/game)
• Four have started all 20 games, all four are in double-digits and all have at least 35 steals

Players to Watch

#33 Janiah McKay
• 14.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, 2.4 SPG
• .424 FG, .802 FT
• Preseason Second-Team All-SEC
• Ranks 2nd in the SEC in steals (2.4/game)
• Also ranks in the SEC top-10 in assists (seventh, 4.4/game), free throw percentage (seventh, .802) and assist/turnover ratio (seventh, 1.7)

#0 Daisa Alexander
• 12.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 1.9 APG
• .415 FG, .368 3PT, 35 3PM
• Ranks tied for 4th in the SEC in steals (2.3/game)
• Averaging 16.0 PPG in SEC play

#20 Unique Thompson
• 12.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.8 SPG, .583 FG
• Preseason All-SEC; 2018 SEC All-Freshman
• Only player other than Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan (17.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG) to be averaging a double-double on the season
• Ranks 35th in the NCAA with 8 double-doubles this season; 15 in her career
• Also ranks in the NCAA top-35 in: offensive rebounds per game (16th, 4.0), total rebounds (20th, 209), field goal percentage (25th, .583) and rebounds per game (31st, 10.5)

TEAM NOTES

LAST TIME OUT (at #6 Mississippi State)
Ole Miss fought in a ferocious first quarter against in-state rival No. 6 Mississippi State, but the two-time defending national finalist Bulldogs pulled away quickly for an 80-49 win at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 27.

"Definitely was excited to be a part of a rivalry," said Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. "This was my first experience here. It was an incredible environment. I thought that my team played their hearts out and there was a lot that I feel we can build on. For us and where we are trying to go, I thought this was a step forward."

The Rebels (8-13, 2-5 SEC) weren't rattled at the tipoff in front of 10,337 fans at The Hump, battling to an 8-6 lead after senior La'Karis Salter (13 points, 3-of-6 3PT, five rebounds, three blocks, two steals) scored the first five points in her first return to Starkville after transferring from MSU following the 2015-16 season. The Bulldogs (19-1, 7-0 SEC), who own the NCAA's top scoring offense at 90.9 PPG and the nation's top scoring margin at plus-34.9 PPG, quickly took control, though, ripping off a 12-2 run that Ole Miss was never able to surmount.

Salter tied a season-high 27 minutes for the Rebels today on her old court, recording her fourth double-digit game in her last six outings.

"I thought (Salter) did well," said McPhee-McCuin. "I didn't know what to expect from Big Ticket. I'm just glad she is scoring. I'm glad she played well. She is coming along as well and I thought she did a lot of good things. I thought that her presence alone for the rest of the young women was important."

Coming off of the bench for the first time as a Rebel, senior Crystal Allen scored a team-high 15 points while going 3-of-3 from the charity stripe. She has now made 37 straight from the foul line, which ranks as the third-longest active streak in the NCAA and the longest in the SEC.

Shannon Dozier also played well for the Rebels, scoring a career-high 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

Mississippi State was led by the All-American duo of Teaira McCowan (33 points, 13 rebounds) and Anriel Howard (16 points, 11 rebounds). Ole Miss will play the Bulldogs again in Oxford on Feb. 21.

"I feel like people misconstrue what a rivalry is like," McPhee-McCuin said. "Obviously, it is lopsided right now. But a rivalry is not about hating the other team. The rivalry is about having pride and loving your university. I wanted our young women to start to see and feel like the belong and they deserve to be there and to compete."

SENIOR LEADERSHIP
The Rebel senior trio of Crystal Allen, La'Karis Salter and Shandricka Sessom have been the cornerstones of the Ole Miss offense in SEC play. At least two of them have scored in double-digits in six of seven conference games thus far, averaging a combined 37.7 PPG while shooting .354 overall, 91.1 percent from the free throw line and hitting 33 of the 37 Rebel three-pointers in SEC play. Against Florida, all three were in double-digits with Sessom at 19, Salter at a career-high 18 and Allen 14 -- accounting for 67.1 percent of all Rebel scoring in a 76-66 win over the Gators.

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. 7), Purdue (No. 27), TCU (No. 59) and Troy (No. 94), but the SEC slate has been and will prove to be as difficult as ever, with 10 conference schools all within the top-100 and four within the top-25. Ole Miss currently holds the No. 76 toughest schedule overall and the No. 35 toughest future schedule according to the NCAA's strength of schedule index.

MAKING THEM COUNT
Ole Miss has been on fire from the charity stripe as of late, hitting at least 10 free throws in five of the last six games (68-of-83; .819), six of the last eight games (86-of-107; .804) and seven of the last 10 games (111-of-144; .771). The Rebels lead all SEC teams in conference-only free throw percentage by three percentage points, shooting 82.6 percent through seven SEC contests. In the last five games alone, Ole Miss is 58-of-70 (.829) from the charity stripe, with senior Crystal Allen single-handedly putting up a line of 37-of-38 in that span. On the year, Ole Miss is shooting 72.3 percent overall -- the fourth-best average in the SEC. The Rebels average 10.0 makes on 13.9 trips to the free throw line on the season.

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 7-1 when holding a lead at halftime, sitting ahead by an average of 10.0 points each time.

OFF THE GLASS
Currently, Ole Miss is 6-2 in games when out-rebounding opponents, but just 2-10 when getting beat on the glass. The Rebels average 36.4 rebounds per game -- 42.2 in wins, 32.8 in losses.

VARIETY IN THE STARTING LINEUP
Ole Miss has utilized five different starting lineups in SEC play this season, as well as 12 total on the season. The Rebels opened the conference season with four brand-new starting lineups vs. Mizzou, Arkansas, LSU and Kentucky. All four lineups 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 Rebels have sent the starting five of Mimi Reid (point guard), senior Crystal Allen (guard), Taylor Smith (guard), Shandricka Sessom (guard) and La'Karis Salter (forward) at No. 16 Kentucky, vs. Florida and at Vanderbilt, helping Ole Miss to back-to-back SEC wins for the first time in two years against the Wildcats and Gators. The longest running lineup of the season thus far has been that of Reid, Allen, Sessom, junior Jhileiya Dunlap (forward) and senior Cecilia Muhate (forward). That lineup has gone 3-3 this season.

TURNING A CORNER
Ole Miss ripped off two impressive wins after starting off SEC play 0-3, defeating No. 16 Kentucky (55-49) on Jan. 13 before prevailing against Florida (76-66) on Jan. 20. The win against the Gators marked the first consecutive SEC wins for Ole Miss since 2016-17 when the Rebels defeated Georgia at home on Jan. 29, 2017 (69-62) and Florida in Gainesville on Feb. 6 (85-75).

The win in Lexington was a historic one, as the Rebels came away with the first win at UK since 2007. Ole Miss won that game 67-65 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 this year 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. These back-to-back wins mark just the fifth time Ole Miss has won consecutive SEC games since 2009-10. Ole Miss has not won three SEC games in a row since the 2014-15 season. Ole Miss did so twice that year: once from Feb. 19 at Auburn (51-46), Feb. 23 vs. Kentucky (67-59) to Feb. 26 vs. LSU (58-57); and once earlier from Jan. 8 at Florida (64-57), Jan. 11 vs. Alabama (77-63) and Jan. 15 vs. Georgia (55-52).

SHARING IS CARING
Controlling the game with an efficient offense has been crucial for the Rebels this season, as Ole Miss has gone 6-3 in games where it tallies more assists than its opponent but 2-10 on the opposite end of the spectrum. Ole Miss recorded an SEC season-high 20 assists in the win vs. Florida on Jan. 20 on 27 made field goals -- the fifth game with 20 or more assists this season. The Rebels also 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).

ROAD TO 100
First-year head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin notched her 100th career win after an 82-69 victory over her old ASUN rival, North Florida, on Dec. 28. Coach Yo holds a 102-76 overall record in six seasons as a head coach. She spent the previous five as the head coach at Jacksonville. There, she guided JU to a 94-63 overall record, three-straight 20-win seasons and three postseason appearances.

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:

• Has started 20 of 21 games
• Ole Miss leading scorer in 18 of 21 games
• Leads SEC in total points (382)
• Leads SEC in threes made (59)
• 2nd in SEC with 18.2 PPG
• Ranks 3rd with 18.1 PPG in SEC play
• Also ranks in SEC overall top-10 in: free throw percentage (2nd, .861), minutes per game (2nd, 35.0), threes per game (2nd, 2.8) and three-point percentage (8th, .347)
• Leads in SEC-only free throw percentage (.936)
• Has third-longest active free throw streak in the NCAA, longest in SEC (37)
• Is 37 of her last 38 from the free throw line
• Has not missed multiple free throws in a game since Dec. 8; 55-of-61 (.902) since
• Ranks in the NCAA top-100 in 12 categories
• Ranks in the NCAA top-30 in: minutes (15th, 734), threes attempted (15th, 170), field goal attempts (18th, 325), total points (26th, 382), threes made (26th, 59) and free throws made (30th, 87)
• Eight 20-point games
• Double-digits in 19 of 21 games played
• Most points by anyone in a single game in the SEC this season (34, vs. North Florida)
• Fifth-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.
• On pace for the 2nd-most threes in a season in Ole Miss history
• Averaging 21.5 PPG in wins, 19.0 PPG on the road

MONEY FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
No one in the SEC has been hotter from the free throw line than senior Crystal Allen, who enters Thursday's game with the third-longest active free throw streak in the NCAA at 37 consecutive makes. In her last five games, Allen is 37-of-38 from the charity stripe, making at least nine free throws each vs. LSU (9-of-10), at No. 16 Kentucky (10-of-10) and vs. Florida (9-of-9) before hitting 6-of-6 at Vanderbilt and 3-of-3 at No. 6 Mississippi State. Allen has not had more than one miss from the free throw line in her last 11 games, going 55-of-61 (.902) in that stretch (she shoots .861 overall). Allen leads all in SEC-only free throw shooting (.936), and her 86.1 percent overall this year ranks second in the conference.

ALLEN ON PACE FROM THREE
Crystal Allen has been money from three for the Rebels this year, draining 59 of the 116 Ole Miss treys this year (50.9 percent). At her pace of 2.8 treys per game, Allen is on pace to sink 84 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 nine of the last 10 games dating back to a 40-minute outing at Louisiana Tech on Dec. 15, averaging 36.2 minutes per game in that stretch -- which accounts for 90.5 percent of all available court time. In those 10 games, Allen is averaging 18.8 PPG and has made 30 threes. Allen ranks 15th in the NCAA in total minutes played (734), and she ranks second in the SEC at 35.0 minutes per game.

YOU GO, WE GO
In Rebel wins, senior Crystal Allen is averaging 21.5 PPG (30.1 percent of all Rebel scoring) while shooting 44.7 percent overall, 43.1 percent from three (28-of-65) and 87.5 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 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 has been crucial for the Rebels lately, averaging 11.5 PPG in the last six games after scoring six or fewer in nine of her previous 10. Salter recorded a career-high 18 points vs. Florida, while also chipping in five rebounds, five assists and a block. 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. The Rebels are 4-2 when Salter has double-digit points and at least five rebounds.

WELCOME TO THE BIG TIME, KID
True freshman guard Taylor Smith averaged just 15.8 minutes and 1.9 points per game in non-confernece play, but the Marietta, Georgia, native has become a fixture for the Rebels in SEC play. In conference play, only senior Crystal Allen (35.3) is averaging more minutes than Smith's 27.6 per game. Smith's scoring average has risen to 4.1 per game, and she has started all seven contests -- the first seven starts of her career.

GETTING IN A GROOVE
Senior Shandricka Sessom was struggling from beyond the arc for a bit to start SEC play, going 2-for-14 in her first four conference games this season. Sessom broke out of that in a big way vs. Florida, draining three consecutive three-pointers in 38 seconds in the first quarter to give the Rebels a big momentum boost right off the bat. Since the Florida game, Sessom is 8-of-15 (.533) from beyond the arc. Sessom has 35 threes this season, giving her and fellow senior Crystal Allen (59) a combined total of 94 of 116 total Ole Miss treys this year for 81 percent of all Rebel threes.

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 11.9 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 10.1 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 1,329 points and 574 rebounds in her storied career, Sessom is one of just 13 Rebels to ever eclipse 1,300 points and 500 boards.

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 1,329 points, while Allen's 1,210 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 88 assists, putting her average of 4.6 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 6.0 points, 3.9 rebounds 1.6 blocks, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game for Ole Miss, shooting .462 overall and starting in 10 of 21 games played. Most impressively, Dunlap is one of just two currently in the SEC to have recorded at least 25 blocks (33) and 25 assists (29). Overall, Dunlap ranks fifth in the SEC in blocks, accounting for 41.8 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

Shannon Dozier

Torri Lewis

Mahogany Matthews

Cecilia Muhate

Mimi Reid

La'Karis Salter

Shandricka Sessom

Taylor Smith

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