Rebels Host Alabama Sunday Afternoon

			OLE MISS (7-14, 0-8 SEC) vs. ALABAMA (12-9, 2-6 SEC) Sunday, Feb. 2 • 2 p.m. • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Throwback T-Shirt Giveaway
Watch • Live Stats • Listen • Buy Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Alabama Game Notes • SEC Game Notes

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women's basketball returns to the hardwood this Sunday, playing host to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT inside The Pavilion and on SEC Network +.

PROMOTIONS
• Throwback T-Shirt Giveaway

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (7-14, 0-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (16-35) • 110-98 career record (7th Season)

Alabama Crimson Tide (12-9, 2-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Kristy Curry • 7th Season at Alabama (110-105) • 419-254 career record (21st season)

ON THE AIR

Television/Online: SEC Network +
Play-by-Play: Will Kollmeyer
Color: Lindsay Roy

OLE MISS RADIO

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

SERIES AT A GLANCE
At Oxford: Ole Miss leads 17-10
At Tuscaloosa: Alabama leads 15-11
At Neutral Sites: Ole Miss leads 6-1
Longest UM Streak: 8 (2004-2009)
Longest UA Streak: 5 (1997-2000)
Biggest UM Win: 41 (2/11/07 - at Oxford)
Biggest UA Win: 28 (1/5/97 - at Tuscaloosa)
Most UM Points: 100 (1/5/79 - at Starkville)
Most UA Points: 93 (1/12/14, 2/13/93; 1/11/82 )
Last 10 Meetings: Alabama leads 8-2

SERIES NOTES vs. ALABAMA

Series History
Ole Miss leads, 34-26

Current Streak
Alabama, 5

First Meeting
Jan. 10, 1977
• W, 73-70, in Tuscaloosa

First SEC Meeting
Jan. 24, 1983
• W, 85-58, in Tuscaloosa

Last Meeting
Feb. 28, 2019
• L, 46-43, in Tuscaloosa

Last Time in Oxford
Feb. 11, 2018
• L, 82-79
• Torri Lewis: 26 points, 5 rebounds, 7-of-11 3PT

Last Win
Jan. 11, 2015
• W, 77-63, in Oxford
• Four Rebels in double-digits
• Gracie Frizzell: 24, 8-of-12 3PT
• Was a school record for threes at the time

Last Win in Tuscaloosa
Jan. 15, 2012
• W, 69-55
• Valencia McFarland: 25 points, 9 assists

SCOUTING ALABAMA

Record
12-9, 2-6 SEC

National Rankings
AP Ranking: N/A
Coaches Ranking: N/A

Last Game
L, 66-48, vs. No. 25 Arkansas
• Top Scorer: De'Sha Benjamin (10)
• Shot .304, allowed .328
• Arkansas: 16-of-19 FT
• Arkansas turned 21 Alabama turnovers in 25 points

Notes
• RPI: 67
• Out of five ranked opponents, Alabama has been within 10 points against three
• No. 23 NCAA strength of schedule
• Shooting .434, allowing .388
• Shooting .347 from three, allowing .326
• Rebounding Margin: +5.3
• Scoring Margin: +9.3
• Ranks in the NCAA top-50 in: free throws made (27th, 294), free throw attempts (28th, 422), scoring (43rd, 73.5 PPG)

ALABAMA PLAYERS TO WATCH

#3 Jordan Lewis
• 13.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.2 SPG
• .405 FG, .375 3PT, .690 FT
• 7th SEC in minutes (32.0/game)
• 9th SEC in threes/game (1.7)
• 10th SEC in assists (3.5/game)

#40 Jasmine Walker
• 11.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.0 SPG
• .400 FG, .387 3PT, .667 FT
• 6th SEC in threes/game (2.0)
• 9th SEC in rebounding (7.1/game)

LAST TIME OUT (vs. SOUTH CAROLINA)
No. 1 South Carolina proved why it deserves the top ranking in the nation, taking control from the jump as Ole Miss lost, 87-32, at The Pavilion on Thursday night.

The top-ranked Gamecocks (20-1, 8-0 SEC) were efficient all-around, shooting 53.2 percent overall and 62.5 percent from three while stifling the Rebel offense to just 26 percent shooting on the night. South Carolina entered with the nation's third-best scoring margin, winning games this year by an average of 26.3 points per game. The Gamecocks also entered as the NCAA leader in shot blocks, and tonight they blocked an Ole Miss opponent season-high seven shots.

"Hats off to South Carolina," said Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. "To me, they are the new UConn of this age. I thought there was a fear factor that they put in immediately. That's why they are number one. I thought they played a complete game, and I expect them to do well as far as they go."

Ole Miss (7-14, 0-8 SEC) started to come to life offensively in the second half, shooting 40 percent from the field, but could do little to overcome a slow first half in which the Gamecock defense held the Rebels to just two points. Mimi Reid led Ole Miss with 12 points, 10 of which came in the back half. The Gamecocks, meanwhile, were led by Laeticia Amihere (16 points, three blocks, one rebound, one steal), Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (10 points, four rebounds, two blocks, two steals) and Tyasha Harris (10 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals).

Ole Miss remains at home to host Alabama (12-9, 2-6 SEC) this Sunday, with tipoff set for 2 p.m. CT at The Pavilion.

TEAM NOTES

REBELS ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
Ole Miss owns six wins all-time when playing the same day as the Super Bowl, going 6-17 all-time when playing the same day as the big game. The Rebels played on Super Bowl Sunday every year from 1999-2016 before taking a break in 2017. Ole Miss has gone to overtime in half of its six wins, going to extra frames in wins over LSU on Feb. 7, 2010 (101-101, 3OT), at Arkansas on Feb. 4, 2007 (90-87, OT) and vs. Kentucky on Feb. 1, 2004 (90-88, OT). When the Rebels win on Super Bowl Sunday, the AFC has gone 4-2, winning Super Bowl XXXIII (1999; Denver over Atlanta), XXXVIII (2004; New England over Carolina), XLI (2007; Indianapolis over Chicago) and XLIII (2009; Pittsburgh over Arizona)

VARIETY IN THE STARTING LINEUP
Ole Miss has used 16 different starting lineups in 21 games of the 2019-20 season. In Coach Yo's first season with the Rebels, Ole Miss used 17 different starting lineups through 31 total games played.

DAUNTING SCHEDULE AHEAD
Ole Miss not only faces the yearly gauntlet of SEC season now, but it also is going up against a slate of some of the nation's best squads. A total of 10 of the SEC's 14 teams currently reside in the NCAA RPI top-100. Ole Miss holds the nation's 45th-toughest future schedule according to the NCAA's strength of schedule rankings.

OFF THE LINE
Ole Miss has proved difficult to damage from distance, ranking fifth in the SEC at an opposing three-point percentage of 29.0 while holding opponents to five or fewer three-pointers in 15 of 21 games this season.

Just five Rebel opponents have shot better than 33 percent from distance. The Rebel defense held Louisiana to a season-low 1-of-10 clip from the three-point line, the third time in the last two seasons that Ole Miss has held an opposing team to one three-point field goal.

In the Coach Yo era, three-point defense has been a point of emphasis, holding opponents to five threes or fewer in 32 of 52 games in her two seasons. Last season, Ole Miss held 17 opponents to 30 percent or less from three, including 12 that shot 25 percent or worse and four that haven't been able to break 20 percent. The year before, Ole Miss held opponents under 30 percent just 10 times all season.

FIRST HALF SUCCESS = WINS
Ole Miss has found its way into the win column more times than not when having a strong first half effort. The Rebels are 7-1 when leading at the break, with their lone loss coming against Georgia after holding a 28-27 halftime lead. Likewise, Ole Miss is 0-13 when trailing at halftime.

PUT IT ON THE BOARD!
The Rebels are currently undefeated when eclipsing the 70-point threshold this season, standing at 5-0 in such games. The Rebels won three in a row while breaking 70 points from Nov. 23-29 in wins against Louisiana Tech (76-53), Sam Houston State (75-69) and Alcorn State (73-55) with an average win margin of +15.7 in those games. Ole Miss scored a season-high 93 points in the non-conference closer vs. Alabama State, the most by a Rebel team since 2017.

OFF THE GLASS
When the Rebels work the glass effectively it has worked out in the end, as Ole Miss stands at 5-1 when tying or out-rebounding opponents this season. On the year, Ole Miss has had two games with a rebounding margin of +20 against ULM (43-23) and Alcorn State (52-32).

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION VS. ALABAMA ST.
The Rebels put together an impressive offensive performance against Alabama State on Dec. 28, with their 93 points standing as the most by an Ole Miss team since notching 96 against Troy on Nov. 21, 2017. That was just the beginning of the notes for the Rebels, who scored a season-high quarter total twice with 31 in the third and 29 in the fourth, while also recording a season-high 12 three-pointers and 24 assists -- the most by an Ole Miss team in both categories since Dec. 28, 2018 vs. North Florida.

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
Ole Miss had six double-digit scorers in the big 93-66 win over Alabama State on Dec. 28, the most since seven Rebels eclipsed double digits against Winston-Salem State more than 10 years ago on Dec. 20, 2009 (W, 101-46). Since that game in 2009, Ole Miss has recorded at least five double-digit scorers in 10 games, and have only done so in consecutive games once in back-to-back outings against Mississippi State on Jan. 21, 2010 (W, 66-58) and at No. 8 Georgia on Jan. 24, 2010 (W, 66-65). Ole Miss is 9-1 in those games in that span, with the only loss coming at No. 9 Baylor on Dec. 18, 2013 (L, 87-80).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

OH MY, SHE'S ON FIRE!
Junior Deja Cage has been a dynamic scorer for the Rebels, recording 14 different double-digit games and five 20-point games through 21 contests this season. Cage has also been one of the most consistent three-point shooters in the league, ranking fourth in threes per game (2.1).

Cage lit the net on fire with a career-high 30-point performance on 10-of-18 shooting and 5-of-8 three-point shooting against Louisiana Tech. She is one of just four Rebels in the last five years to have recorded a 30-point game.

BIG MINUTES FOR ALEXANDER
Freshman and Pearl, Mississippi native Jayla Alexander has been a key member on the floor for the Rebels in SEC play, currently ranking among SEC freshman on the year in minutes per game (30.6).

Alexander has become a staple in the starting lineup for Ole Miss, starting each of the last 10 games dating back to Dec. 20 after serving as a crucial reserve off the bench in her first 11 games as a Rebel. In that stretch, Alexander scored 101 points off the bench -- including 52 points in a four-game stretch from Nov. 15 to Nov. 26. Alexander went off against New Orleans with a 21-point outing against the Privateers on a 5-of-8 clip from beyond the arc. On the year, she has recorded eight double-digit games, including a 16-point outing against Missouri on Jan. 19.

TWO NEW FACES
Ole Miss welcomed two new faces to the team prior to tipoff vs. Missouri on Jan. 19 in the form of freshman early enrollee Caitlin McGee and former student manager Tootie Rankin.

McGee – a 6-1 forward out of Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, Florida – graduated early this past December. McGee made the decision to enroll early to help prepare for her freshman season. She will sit out as a redshirt for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. A three-star recruit by ESPN as part of a 2020 Ole Miss class that ranks No. 1 in the SEC, McGee was a varsity letterwinner in both basketball and track & field while at Sandalwood. In her three-year career, she averaged 18.0 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. She is a three-time all-conference selection, a three-time first-team All-Area and All-City member, and was named to both the 2018-19 First-Team All-State and Times Union All-Decade teams.

Rankin, meanwhile, joins the active Rebel roster after serving as a student manager for the 2019-20 season. Rankin transferred to Ole Miss after two seasons at Southwest Mississippi Community College, where she played in 48 total games. Rankin saw her first action on Jan. 19 vs. Missouri, playing 17 minutes while recording two points and three rebounds, and earned her first start at Auburn (22 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds).

A biochemistry major, Rankin excelled at SWMCC, earning a 4.0 in her two years there. While there, she also was a member of Bear Trackers, Student Government Association, Phi Theta Kappa, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and volunteered her time to become a Chemistry tutor in the Student Success Center. She was awarded the Lyceum Scholar Award from Ole Miss, given to 15 transfer students from across the country who must be excellent leaders who excel both in and out of the classroom

BANKS WITH THE REJECTION
Junior Dominique Banks is on pace for a historical season defensively. At her average of 2.2 blocks per game, she is on pace to rank on the Ole Miss single-season record in blocks with 65. Banks is currently the NCAA's 27th-best in blocks per game and No. 21 overall in total blocks (47).

1. Promise Taylor - 82 ('17-18, 31 games)
2. Shawn Goff - 67 ('07-08, 29 games)
3. Shawn Goff - 60 ('08-09, 30 games)
4. Susan Byrd - 60 ('93-94, 33 games)
5. Susan Byrd - 59 ('92-93, 28 games)

Furthermore, her eight blocks against Georgia Southern on Dec. 16 stand as the second-most in a game at Ole Miss.

AIR IT OUT, TORRI!
Senior three-point specialist Torri Lewis has picked up right where she left off two years ago, returning for the Rebels as a key weapon from deep. Lewis, who returned for her redshirt senior season at Ole Miss after sitting out last year due to the birth of her son, A.J., is a career 32.9 percent three-point shooter. In her career, 86.3 percent of all of her field goals have come from three-point distance.

Lewis shot a combined 11-of-28 (.393) from three-point distance in three games from Dec. 16-28, knocking down at least three treys in each game and hitting four twice against Georgia Southern on Dec. 16 and Alabama State on Dec. 28.

In her career, Lewis owns 30 games with multiple threes -- hitting seven or more threes in a game twice. She knocked down a school-record 10 in a game vs. New Orleans as a freshman in 2015 (the third-most in a single-game in NCAA history), and during her junior year, she nailed seven against Alabama.

During that junior season, Lewis was on fire from downtown in the final month of the season, going 16-of-32 in a stretch from deep from Feb. 1-11. That season, 90 percent of her made field goals were three-pointers and 131 of her 150 attempts were from beyond the arc (87.3 percent).

Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on Twitter at @YolettMcCuin

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Players Mentioned

Jayla Alexander

Dominique Banks

Deja Cage

Torri Lewis

Caitlin McGee

Tootie Rankin

Mimi Reid

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