Rebels Ready for Rematch at Arkansas

			OLE MISS (9-18, 3-10 SEC) at ARKANSAS (16-11, 5-8 SEC) Sunday, Feb. 24 • 3 PM • Fayetteville, Ark. Bud Walton Arena (19,200)
Watch • Listen • Live Stats Ole Miss Game Notes • Arkansas Game Notes • SEC Game Notes

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ole Miss women's basketball heads to Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks for the second time this season on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (9-18, 3-10 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 1st Season at Ole Miss (9-18) • 103-81 career record (6th Season)

Arkansas Razorbacks (16-11, 5-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Mike Neighbors • 2nd Season at Arkansas (29-29) • 111-60 career record (6th season)

ON THE AIR

Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Melissa Lee
Color: Steffi Sorensen

OLE MISS RADIO

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

SERIES AT A GLANCE
At Oxford: Ole Miss leads 15-4
At Fayetteville: Arkansas leads 12-5
At Neutral Sites: Ole Miss leads 5-3
Longest UM Streak: 8 (2004-2010)
Longest UA Streak: 6 (2011-2014)
Biggest UM Win: 35 (1/6/02 - at Oxford)
Biggest UA Win: 41 (3/3/13 - at Fayettville)
Most UM Points: 94 (3/2/06 - at Little Rock)
Most UA Points: 93 (3/3/13 - at Fayetteville)
Last 10 Meetings: Arkansas leads 7-3

SERIES NOTES

Series History
Ole Miss leads, 25-19

Current Streak
Arkansas, 2

First Meeting
Dec. 14, 1985
• W, 76-61, in Oxford

First SEC Meeting
Jan. 4, 1992
• W, 66-65, in Oxford
• No. 15 Ole Miss vs. No. 25 Arkansas
• First SEC road game ever for Arkansas
• First win of undefeated SEC season for Ole Miss
• Aired on ESPN on a tape delay the following Monday (Jan. 6) at noon
• Four Rebels in double-digit scoring
• Charlotte Banks: 16 points, 7 rebounds
• Clara Jackson: 14 points, 9 rebounds

Last Meeting
Jan. 6, 2019
• L, 85-55, in Oxford

Last Time in Fayetteville
Dec. 31, 2017
• L, 73-72

Last Win
Jan. 1, 2018
• W, 73-64, in Oxford

Last Win in Fayetteville
Jan. 23, 2011
• W, 69-65, over No. 23 Arkansas
• Trailed by as many as 12
• Valencia McFarland: 21 points

SCOUTING ARKANSAS

Current Record: 16-11, 5-8 SEC
• RPI: 88
• Leads the SEC and ranks 9th in the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game (11.7)
• Holds the NCAA's 12th-best turnover margin (+5.78)
• Leads SEC, ranks 15th in NCAA in threes attempted (679)
• Ranks 3rd in SEC with 7.5 threes per game
• Shooting .390, allowing .408
• Holding opponents to .299 from three
• Being out-rebounded on the season, 44.1-38.1
• Two averaging double-digits

Players to Watch

#33 Chelsea Dungee
• vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 6): 17 points
• 18.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.4 SPG
• .390 FG, .312 3PT, .812 FT, 44 3PM
• 2nd SEC in scoring, 4th in FT percentage
• Holds SEC's top scoring outing this season with 41 points vs. Auburn on Feb. 10
• Leads SEC, 5th NCAA in total FT mde (147)
• Big 12 All-Freshman at Oklahoma in 2017
• 2013 Gold Medalist with USA Basketball U16 team
• 2014 Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year

#3 Malica Monk
• vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 6): 16 points, 5 assists
• 13.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.3 SPG
• .404 FG, .323 3PT
• 5th SEC in assist/turnover ratio (1.9)
• Preseason Second-Team All-SEC

#2 Alexis Tolefree
• vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 6): 4 points, 5 rebounds
• 9.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.4 SPG
• 53 threes made (2.0/game; 8th SEC)

#10 Kiara Williams
• vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 6): 13 points, 10 rebounds
• 6.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 1.2 SPG, .577 FG

TEAM NOTES

LAST TIME OUT (vs. #6 Mississippi State)
Ole Miss women's basketball kept the game close for the majority of the first half, but a late second quarter run jumpstarted the Mississippi State offense, and the Rebels ultimately fell 80-66 to the 6th-ranked Bulldogs at The Pavilion on Feb. 21.

"I was very pleased with how my squad responded after a difficult loss in Athens," said Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. "We just played a team that could potentially be in the Final Four, and I thought that we gave them our best punch. Wish a couple things could've gone better in the third quarter, but when you play a team like that you have to have your best game with no mistakes."

Making her return to the starting lineup, senior Crystal Allen was spectacular for Ole Miss, scoring a team-high 29 points, which tied for the most scored against Mississippi State this season. She has reached 20 points in three-straight games and is the SEC's third-leading scorer, averaging 18.0 PPG.

Allen also became the first Rebel to score at least 29 points against Mississippi State since Feb. 23, 2014, when Valencia McFarland scored 29 vs. the Bulldogs in a 72-70 overtime loss in Starkville. Tia Faleru scored 29 vs. the Bulldogs earlier that season in an 87-85 overtime victory in Oxford.

Anriel Howard (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Jordan Danberry (20 points) led the way for MSU, while national player of the year candidate Teaira McCowan put together a double-double with 15 points and 12 boards. The Rebels, though, were able to slow down McCowan in the second half, holding her to just two points and two rebounds in the back half.

"I don't think there's a player more dominant in this league, so for us to do that, that's definitely something that we're proud of," McPhee-McCuin said.

Freshman Gabby Crawford had her best performance in conference play, scoring seven points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field. Entering this game, she had not scored more than four in a game in conference play.

While the Rebels had solid individual performances and shot the ball well, Mississippi State was able to control the game down low. The Bulldogs finished with a 40-30 rebounding margin and a 44-24 edge in points in the paint.

Mimi Reid carried the Rebel offense during the first half, all 11 of her points coming during the first 20 minutes of action. She also finished the game with six rebounds, which ranked second for the Rebels.

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team leading by more than four. The game was tied 12-12 at the first media timeout, which was followed by a scoring drought for both teams that lasted 2:56. Mississippi State scored the next four points, but Shandricka Sessom (three points, eight rebounds) hit a three-pointer at the end of the quarter to bring the Rebels within one (16-15).

The second quarter started similar to the first with both teams exchanging buckets, leaving Mississippi State with a 22-21 lead after the first four minutes of action. The Bulldogs turned on the gas from there with a 9-3 run, leading at halftime 37-29.

Mississippi State (24-2, 12-1 SEC) started the second half strong and never looked back, outscoring Ole Miss 26-14 in the third quarter. The Rebels won the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 23-17 during the final frame, but ultimately lost 80-66.
"Overall, I thought we did our university proud," McPhee-McCuin said. "I'm not using that as a moral victory. It's a step in the right direction. The fact that we were able to do that today gives us something to build on."

HIGH-POWERED SHOWDOWN
Sunday's game at Arkansas will feature two of the SEC's top scorer in Ole Miss' Crystal Allen and Arkansas' Chelsea Dungee. Both rank within the SEC top-five in scoring (Dungee second at 18.9, Allen third at 18.0) and they both own the top two scoring outings of the season conference-wide. Dungee's 41-point performance vs. Auburn on Feb. 10 unseated Allen's career-high 34 points vs. North Florida on Dec. 28 as the SEC's top outing of the season.

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 10 of 13 conference games thus far, averaging a combined 37.6 PPG while shooting 85.3 percent from the free throw line and hitting 70 of the 76 Rebel three-pointers in SEC play (92.1 percent). All three have scored in double-digits twice in SEC play this year in wins over Florida and Vanderbilt. In those wins, the trio have accounted for 77.3 percent of all Rebel scoring with 109 of 141 total points.

VS. RANKED COMPETITION IN 2019
Ole Miss has faced six ranked opponents in 2018-19, with five of those contests coming within the last nine games. 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 -- at No. 12 South Carolina (76-42) and vs. No. 6 Mississippi State (80-66).

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. 73) and TCU (No. 34), 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 five within the top-30. Ole Miss currently holds the No. 81 toughest schedule overall and the No. 40 toughest future schedule according to the NCAA's strength of schedule index.

OFF THE LINE
Ole Miss has proved difficult to damage from distance, holding opponents to five or fewer three-pointers in seven of its last eight 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 30.1 percent from three, the seventh-best three-point defense in the SEC. Ole Miss has held 15 opponents to 30 percent or less from three, including 10 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, currently owning the SEC's fifth-best three-point percentage at 33.3 percent. The Rebels have shot 40 percent or better from distance in four of their last nine games. Included in that stretch was an 8-of-20 performance against No. 20 Texas A&M on Feb. 3, which entered with the SEC's top three-point defense.

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.

VARIETY IN THE STARTING LINEUP
Ole Miss has utilized nine different starting lineups in SEC play this season, as well as 16 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.

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 471-434. Ole Miss has won or tied the fourth quarter in 19 games this season, and is averaging 17.4 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 3-14 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).

MAKING THEM COUNT
Ole Miss has been on fire from the charity stripe, currently ranking as the SEC's fifth-best free throw shooting team in conference play at 74.1 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 three times 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 70.6 percent overall -- the seventh-best average in the SEC. The Rebels average 9.8 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 The Rebels are 8-2 when holding a lead at halftime, sitting ahead by an average of 8.7 points each time.

OFF THE GLASS
Currently, Ole Miss is 6-2 in games when out-rebounding opponents, but just 3-15 when getting beat on the glass. The Rebels average 35.9 rebounds per game -- 41.0 in wins, 33.2 in losses.

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

OH MY, SHE'S ON FIRE!
Senior Crystal Allen has been lights-out in her last three games, averaging 24.3 points per game in that stretch after averaging just 11.8 in her previous four outings. During this streak, Allen is shooting 49 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three -- going 9-of-21 from beyond the arc.

ALLEN'S ALL-SEC RESUME
Ole Miss redshirt senior Crystal Allen has been the center of attention for opposing defenses, 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 22 of 27 games
• Ole Miss leading scorer in 23 of 27 games
• 3rd SEC in total points (487)
• 3rd in SEC with 18.0 PPG
• Ranks 4th with 17.8 PPG in SEC play
• Leads SEC in threes made (71)
• Leads the SEC in free throw shooting at 83.8 percent
• Also ranks in SEC overall top-10 in: threes per game (2nd, 2.6), minutes per game (7th, 33.6) and three-point shooting (7th, .336).
• 4th in SEC-only free throw percentage (.866)
• 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)
• Ranks in the NCAA top-100 in 10 categories
• 11 games with 20+ points
• Double-digits in 24 of 27 games played
• 20+ points in each of her last three games
• 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 (78)
• Averaging 21.7 PPG in wins, 18.4 PPG on the road

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 1,400 points and 610 rebounds in her storied career, Sessom is one of just 11 Rebels to ever eclipse 1,400 points and 600 boards.

ALLEN ON PACE FROM THREE
Crystal Allen has been money from three for the Rebels this year, draining 71 of the 155 Ole Miss treys this year (45.8 percent). 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 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. After a nine-assist game vs. Vanderbilt on Feb. 14, Reid stands alone as the only freshman to have recorded nine or more assists in SEC play. She is also 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 fourth among all freshmen nationally with 113 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.

BIG TICKET = BIG BUCKETS
Senior La'Karis Salter has been on fire in conference play, improving her scoring average from 7.3 PPG in non-conference play to 9.2 in SEC season, while also registering a massive increase in three-point conversions from 13 percent to 31.1 percent. Salter has recorded six of her 10 double-digit games in SEC play, and in the three Rebel wins in SEC play, Salter is putting up 15.7 per game. At No. 16 Kentucky, Salter recorded her second career double-double with 12 points and 10 boards en route to the big ranked road win for the Rebels. Salter has followed that up with a career-high 18 points in a win vs. Florida and 17 toward victory against Vanderbilt.

GETTING IN A GROOVE
Senior Shandricka Sessom was struggling from beyond the arc for a bit to start SEC play, going 2-for-18 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 25-of-53 from beyond the arc and scoring in double-digits in six of her nine games since. Sessom has 52 threes this season, giving her and fellow senior Crystal Allen (71) a combined total of 123 of 155 total Ole Miss treys this year (79.4 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 180 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-) – 180
5. Gracie Frizzell (2011-15) – 164
6. Madinah Muhammad (2015-18) - 154

YOU GO, WE GO
In Rebel wins, senior Crystal Allen is averaging 21.7 PPG (31.4 percent of all Rebel scoring) while shooting 43.9 percent overall, 41.9 percent from three (31-of-74) and 87.3 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.

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 seventh among active SEC scorers with 1,400 points, while Allen's 1,315 puts her at 10th in the league.

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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