Rebels Return to Court at Home vs. Vanderbilt

			OLE MISS (8-16, 2-8 SEC) vs. VANDERBILT (6-17, 1-9 SEC) Thursday, Feb. 14 • 7 PM • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) First 350 Fans Receive an "I Heart the Rebs" T-Shirt
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OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women's basketball hits the court after a brief break to host the Vanderbilt Commodores for a Valentine's Day tilt on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT inside The Pavilion and on SEC Network +.

PROMOTIONS
• First 350 receive an "I Heart the Rebs" t-shirt

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (8-16, 2-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 1st Season at Ole Miss (8-16) • 102-79 career record (6th Season)

Vanderbilt Commodores (6-17, 1-9 SEC)
Head Coach: Stephanie White • 3rd Season at Vanderbilt (27-57) • 27-57 career record (3rd season)

ON THE AIR

Television/Online: SEC Network +
Play-by-Play: Seth Austin
Color: Lindsay Roy

OLE MISS RADIO

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

SERIES HISTORY
At Oxford: Ole Miss leads 13-9
At Nashville: Vanderbilt leads 18-3
At Neutral Sites: Vanderbilt leads 6-0
Biggest VU Win: 37 (1/3/95 - at Nashville)
Biggest UM Win: 24 (1/29/85 - at Nashville)
Most UM Points: 85 (2/6/78 - at Nashville)
Most VU Points: 91 (1/3/95 - at Nashville)
Last 10 Meetings: Vanderbilt leads 9-1

SERIES NOTES

Series History
Vanderbilt leads, 33-16

Current Streak
Vanderbilt, 4

First Meeting
Feb. 6, 1978
• W, 85-64, in Nashville
• First of just three Rebel wins in Nashville

Last Meeting
Jan. 24, 2019
• L, 80-68, in Nashville

Last Time in Oxford
Feb. 1, 2018
• L, 75-72

Last Win
Jan. 3, 2016
• W, 55-52, in Oxford

SCOUTING VANDERBILT

Current Record: 6-17, 1-9 SEC
• RPI: 177
• Three averaging double-digits
• Two averaging 7.0 rebounds or more
• Shooting .422 percent as a team; allowing .435 percent from opponents
• 2nd-best SEC-only three-point percentage at .354
• Shooting .417 in SEC play (5th SEC)

Players to Watch

#34 Mariella Fasoula
• 15.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.0 BPG
• .524 FG
• 24.5 percent of all Commodore scoring
• 3rd SEC in FG percentage (.524)
• Averaging 13.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG in SEC play
• Had 19 points, nine rebounds and went 7-of-8 from the field vs. Ole Miss on Jan. 24

#10 Cierra Walker
• 10.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG
• .424 FG, .397 3PT, .818 FT, 54 3PM
• Accounts for 58.1 percent of all Vanderbilt three-pointers made this year (54 of 93)
• Leads SEC in minutes (36.0/game)
• 6th SEC in three-point shooting (.397) and threes per game (2.3)
• 3rd in conference play with a .435 three-point percentage

TEAM NOTES

LAST TIME OUT (at #12 South Carolina)
Ole Miss put together another hard-fought first half, but No. 12 South Carolina ended the third quarter on a 15-0 run to separate as the Rebels fell, 76-42, to the Gamecocks on Feb. 14.

South Carolina forced an Ole Miss season-high 23 turnovers while shutting down what was a solid Rebel offense in the first half to just 19 percent in the back half.

The game got off to a slow start, with both teams being held scoreless for the first 3:42 of action. During this stretch, Ole Miss held South Carolina 0-of-6 from the field. The pace of play picked up for the remainder of the quarter, and the Gamecocks took a 17-11 lead after the first ten minutes of action.

The teams traded buckets early in the second quarter, before South Carolina went on a quick 8-0 run to take a 35-23 lead with 2:10 left in the half. Senior La'Karis Salter (nine points, three rebounds) broke the run with a three-pointer, and each team hit a free throw in the final minute of play, giving South Carolina a 36-27 lead at the end of the first half.

South Carolina (17-5, 9-1 SEC) closed the game at the end of the third quarter, as they went on a 15-0 run over the final 5:08 of the frame. This gave them a 57-32 lead, and they never looked back. The Gamecocks outscored the Rebels 19-10 in the fourth quarter, ending the night with a 76-42 victory.

After being held without a field goal for the first time in her Ole Miss career on Sunday, senior Crystal Allen responded well. She scored a team-high 13 points, which marked the 20th time in 24 games that she has led the Rebels in scoring this season.

Fellow senior Shandricka Sessom also played well for the Rebels. She scored 11 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. She has had at least four rebounds in 22 of 23 games played, and she's scored in double digits in five of her last six games.

LAST TIME VS. VANDERBILT (JAN. 24)
A big Commodore run in the second quarter proved too much to overcome as the Ole Miss women's basketball team fell at Vanderbilt, 80-68, on Jan. 24, snapping the first two-game SEC streak for the Rebels in two years.

The Rebels (8-12, 2-4 SEC) put together a strong first quarter of action, but the Commodores (6-13, 1-5 SEC) ripped off a 14-0 run in the second to drain the Rebel momentum and create some separation. Vanderbilt led by as many as 17 with 7:27 left to play, and although the Rebels were able to come within 10 with 4:09 remaining, the Commodores took advantage of some Ole Miss foul trouble down the stretch to stay ahead. Vanderbilt was 21-of-30 from the free throw line, going 11-of-14 in the fourth quarter alone.

Crystal Allen paced the Rebel offense, scoring a team-high 20 points – her eighth 20-point outing this season. The senior guard also extended her streak of consecutive made free throws to 34 after going 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, which at the time ranked as the third-longest active streak in the NCAA and the longest in the SEC.

Senior guard Shandricka Sessom filled up the stat sheet as well, scoring 14 points while recording five rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal before fouling out. Freshmen Mimi Reid (six points, seven assists) and Taylor Smith (eight points, two steals) also had productive games out of the starting lineup for the Rebels.

On the heels of a career-high 18 points vs. Florida on Jan. 20, senior forward La'Karis Salter jumpstarted the offense for Ole Miss, scoring all six of her points in the first quarter. Her strong offensive start allowed the Rebels to jump out to a 16-14 lead at the end of the first.

VS. RANKED COMPETITION IN 2019
Ole Miss has played four ranked opponents in its last seven games, as well as in three of its last four outings. Ole Miss lost to No. 2 UConn (90-50) in the U.S. Virgin Islands at the Paradise Jam before winning at No. 16 Kentucky on Jan. 13 -- the first win on the road vs. a ranked school since 2011 and the first overall in Lexington since 2007. Since, the Rebels have fallen at No. 6 Mississippi State (80-49), at home vs. No. 20 Texas A&M (72-60) -- in which Ole Miss lead at halftime -- and at No. 12 South Carolina (76-42).

DAUNTING SCHEDULE AHEAD
Ole Miss had a fairly strong non-conference schedule with the likes of current RPI top-100 teams like UConn (No. 6), Purdue (No. 52), TCU (No. 43) and Troy (No. 79), but the SEC slate has been and will prove to be as difficult as ever, with nine conference schools all within the top-100 and three within the top-25. Ole Miss currently holds the No. 60 toughest schedule overall and the No. 78 toughest future schedule according to the NCAA's strength of schedule index.

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 nine of 10 conference games thus far, averaging a combined 36.5 PPG while shooting 87.8 percent from the free throw line and hitting 50 of the 55 Rebel three-pointers in SEC play (90.9 percent). 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.

VARIETY IN THE STARTING LINEUP
Ole Miss has utilized seven different starting lineups in SEC play this season, as well as 14 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. All 10 Rebels on the active roster have started this year.

The longest running lineup in SEC play has been the starting five of Mimi Reid (point guard), senior Crystal Allen (guard), Taylor Smith (guard), Shandricka Sessom (guard) and La'Karis Salter (forward), which helped Ole Miss to back-to-back SEC wins for the first time in two years at No. 16 Kentucky and Florida.

MAKING THEM COUNT
Ole Miss has been on fire from the charity stripe as of late, currently ranking as the SEC's second-best free throw shooting team in conference play at 77.3 percent. Ole Miss hit double-digit free throws in five straight games from Jan. 6 to Jan. 24, going 62-of-76 (.816) in that stretch. Ole Miss has only shot worse than 70 percent from the foul line once in conference action after doing so seven times in the non-conference season. From Jan. 10 to Jan. 31, senior Crystal Allen single-handedly put up a line of 45-of-46 herself. On the year, Ole Miss is shooting 71.3 percent overall -- the seventh-best average in the SEC. The Rebels average 9.8 makes on 13.7 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 7-2 when holding a lead at halftime, sitting ahead by an average of 9.2 points each time.

OFF THE GLASS
Currently, Ole Miss is 6-2 in games when out-rebounding opponents, but just 2-13 when getting beat on the glass. The Rebels average 36.2 rebounds per game -- 42.2 in wins, 33.2 in losses.

OFF THE LINE
Ole Miss has proved difficult to damage from distance lately, holding opponents to five or fewer three-pointers in four of its last five games, including four straight from Jan. 24 to Feb. 3. In that four-game stretch, Rebel opponents shot just 13-of-54 (.241) from beyond the arc. Included in that is an Ole Miss opponent season-low 1-of-9 (.111) by No. 20 Texas A&M on Feb. 3. On the season, Ole Miss is holding opponents to just 29.8 percent from three, the fourth-best three-point defense in the SEC. Ole Miss has held 14 opponents to 30 percent or less from three, including nine that shot 25 percent or worse. Last season, Ole Miss held opponents under 30 percent just 10 times all season.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN, YES!
In contrast to the Ole Miss three-point defense, the Rebels have also found success offensively from beyond the arc. Against the best three-point defense in the SEC (and 18th-best in the NCAA) in No. 20 Texas A&M, Ole Miss shot 8-of-20 from three. Ole Miss opened the season without breaking 33 percent from beyond the arc in each of its first six games, but then went on to shoot 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.

Ole Miss closed non-conference season with a season-high 14 threes vs. North Florida, which ties for the fifth-most in a single-game in school history. 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 32.8 percent from three (134-of-408), the fifth-best clip in the SEC.

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 411-385. Ole Miss has won or tied the fourth quarter in 16 games this season, and is averaging 17.1 points in the final frame.

SHARING IS CARING
Controlling the game with an efficient offense has been crucial for the Rebels this season, as Ole Miss has gone 6-4 in games where it tallies more assists than its opponent but 2-12 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).

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).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

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 has been on fire, going 18-of-36 from beyond the arc and scoring in double-digits in five of her six games since. Sessom has 45 threes this season, giving her and fellow senior Crystal Allen (62) a combined total of 107 of 134 total Ole Miss treys this year (79.9 percent).

MOVING UP THE ALL-TIME LIST
Senior Shandricka Sessom is continuing to cement herself as one of the best three-point shooters in Ole Miss history. At 173 career treys, Sessom ranks fourth on the all-time list.

OLE MISS CAREER THREE-POINTERS, ALL-TIME
1. Becky Myatt (1998-01) – 232
2. Bianca Thomas (2006-10) – 226
3. Regan Seybert (1993-97) – 194
4. Shandricka Sessom (2014-) – 173
5. Gracie Frizzell (2011-15) – 164
6. Madinah Muhammad (2015-18) - 154

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 21 of 24 games
• Ole Miss leading scorer in 20 of 24 games
• 4th SEC in total points (414)
• 2nd SEC in threes made (62)
• 3rd in SEC with 17.3 PPG
• Ranks 6th with 15.9 PPG in SEC play
• Leads the SEC in free throw shooting at 85.5 percent
• Also ranks in SEC overall top-10 in: threes per game (2nd, 2.6), minutes per game (6th, 34.2) and three-point shooting (7th, .328).
• 2nd in SEC-only free throw percentage (.905)
• Held the NCAA's longest active free throw streak at one point. Hit 47 consecutive free throws from Jan. 10 until Feb. 3, going 47-of-50 in that stretch (.940)
• Did not miss multiple free throws in a game from Dec. 8 until Feb. 3, going 63-of-69 (.913) in between
• Ranks in the NCAA top-100 in 10 categories
• Eight 20-point games
• Double-digits in 21 of 24 games played
• Career-high 34 points vs. North Florida, which at the time was the most by anyone in the SEC
• 28 points at No. 16 Kentucky, 26 in the second half for the first Ole Miss win over a ranked team on the road since 2011 (first at UK since 2007)
• 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 (77)
• Averaging 21.5 PPG in wins, 18.0 PPG on the road

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.

FREE THROW STREAK ENDS
No one in the SEC was hotter from the free throw line in the last month than senior Crystal Allen, who hit 47 consecutive free throws from Jan. 10 to Feb. 3, snapping the streak vs. No. 20 Texas A&M on Feb. 3 as the NCAA active leader. In that stretch, Allen was 47-of-50 (.940) from the charity stripe, making at least eight free throws in four of seven contests. Before missing three against the Aggies, Allen had not missed multiple free throws since Dec. 8 vs. Savannah State, going 63-of-69 (.913) in between.

SALTER HEATING UP
Senior La'Karis Salter has been crucial for the Rebels lately, averaging 10.4 PPG in the last nine 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.

WELCOME TO THE BIG TIME, KID
True freshman guard Taylor Smith averaged just 15.8 minutes and 1.9 points per game in non-conference play, but the Marietta, Georgia, native has become a fixture for the Rebels in SEC play. Smith was the only Rebel to have started the first nine SEC games. In conference play she is averaging 24.2 minutes per game while also chipping in 3.3 points.

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 12.3 per game since. Sessom has recorded double-digits in 13 games played this season, including five of her last six and six of her last eight. Sessom is averaging 10.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and in SEC play she averages 11.0 PPG and 5.7 rebounds.

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 1,373 points and 593 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 1,373 points, while Allen's 1,242 puts her at 11th in the league.

ALLEN ON PACE FROM THREE
Crystal Allen has been money from three for the Rebels this year, draining 62 of the 134 Ole Miss treys this year (46.3 percent). At her pace of 2.6 treys per game, Allen is on pace to sink 77 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.

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 fifth among all freshmen nationally with 102 assists, putting her average of 4.6 per game at No. 5 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.

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

Mahogany Matthews

Madinah Muhammad

Mimi Reid

La'Karis Salter

Shandricka Sessom

Taylor Smith

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