Women’s Basketball Closes Regular Season at No. 17 Kentucky

			OLE MISS (9-10, 3-10 SEC) at #17 KENTUCKY (16-6, 9-5 SEC) Sunday, Feb. 28 • 11 a.m. • Lexington, Ky. Memorial Coliseum
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ole Miss women's basketball will close its regular season with its fifth ranked contest in the last seven games at No. 17 Kentucky on Sunday morning. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network.

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (9-10, 3-10 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (25-55) • 119-118 career record (8th Season)

#17 Kentucky Wildcats (16-6, 9-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Kyra Elzy • 1st Season at Kentucky (16-6) • 16-6 career record (1st Season)

ON THE AIR

Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Paul Sunderland
Color: Andraya Carter

OLE MISS RADIO

Radio: 105.1 FM
Audio: TuneIn
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
Color: Lindsay King

SERIES NOTES vs. KENTUCKY

Series History
Ole Miss leads, 24-19

Current Streak
Ole Miss, 1

First Meeting
Feb. 9, 1980 • Knoxville, Tenn.
• W, 79-62
• Second Round of first SEC Tournament

First SEC Meeting
Feb. 1, 1984 • Lexington, Ky.
• L, 69-59

Last Meeting
Feb. 4, 2021 • Oxford, Miss.
• W, 72-60
• First win over a ranked team since winning at No. 16 Kentucky on Jan. 13, 2019 (55-49)
• First home win over a ranked team since beating No. 25 Oregon on Dec. 14, 2016 (83-67)
• Largest SEC win since beating Texas A&M on Feb. 26, 2017 (62-49)
• Largest win over Kentucky since Feb. 22, 2001 (75-54, in Lexington)
• Second ranked win in Coach Yo era; other was at No. 16 Kentucky on Jan. 13, 2019
• Largest win over Kentucky in Oxford since Jan. 2, 1997 (83-52)
• Snapped six-game losing streak
• Dominated boards (49-34) and points in the paint (42-20)
• Led for 34:23
• Held UK to 6-of-26 from 3PT
• Shakira Austin: 21 points, 12 rebounds
• Rhyne Howard: 26 points, 2-of-10 3PT

Last Time in Lexington
Jan. 13, 2019 • Lexington, Ky.
• W, 55-49
• Kentucky: Ranked No. 16
• First Ole Miss win at UK since 2007
• First road ranked win since 2011
• Crystal Allen: 28 points
• La'Karis Salter: 12 points, 10 rebounds
• Kentucky: 26.6 FG, 26.1 3PT
• Rhyne Howard: 20 points, 11 rebounds
• Ole Miss won 4th Quarter, 23-13

SCOUTING KENTUCKY

Record
16-6, 9-5 SEC

National Rankings
AP Ranking: 19
Coaches Ranking: 17

Last Game
Feb. 25 • W, 62-58, at #17 Georgia
• Top Scorer: Rhyne Howard (27)

Notes
• Top Scorer: Rhyne Howard (19.7)
• Top Rebounder: Rhyne Howard (7.0)
• Top 3PT Shooter: Rhyne Howard (.370)

LAST TIME OUT (at #5 SOUTH CAROLINA)
• Rebels hung tough for a bit, but the 5th-ranked Gamecocks pulled away for good not long after, winning 68-43 on Feb. 25
• Ole Miss: shot 26 percent
• Shakira Austin: 22 points
• Austin surpassed 1,000 career points
• Valerie Nesbitt: 7 points
• Donnetta Johnson: 8 rebounds
• Quotable: "They're the most physical team we've played. We knew it. This was the game I was most concerned about. I knew this was a 'are you tough enough' game. We had a lot of evenly talented games. It didn't have to do with strategy. It had to do with sheer will. We're very young and we didn't step into that opportunity." - Coach Yo

TEAM NOTES

ROUND TWO
Ole Miss heads to No. 17 Kentucky with its sights set on a season sweep over the Wildcats for the first time in program history on Feb. 28. Back on Feb. 4, the Rebels snapped a six-game slide with an emotional 72-60 upset over No. 14/15 Kentucky, the second time in the Coach Yo era that the Rebels have taken down a nationally ranked Wildcat squad.

The Rebels didn't just upset the Wildcats, they dominated the game. Ole Miss out-rebounded Kentucky, 49-34, held a huge edge in points in the paint (42-20), and led for 34:23 of the contest. Shakira Austin was crucial for the Rebels, scoring 21 points and 12 rebounds. Ole Miss allowed 26 points to Kentucky star Rhyne Howard, but the Rebels as a team chipped in on defense to stymie UK to just 6-of-26 from beyond the arc.

The win for Ole Miss was a historic one in several ways:

• First win over a ranked team since winning at No. 16 Kentucky on Jan. 13, 2019 (55-49)

• First home win over a ranked team since beating No. 25 Oregon on Dec. 14, 2016 (83-67)

• Largest SEC win since beating Texas A&M on Feb. 26, 2017 (62-49)

• Largest win over Kentucky since Feb. 22, 2001 (75-54, in Lexington)

• Largest win over Kentucky in Oxford since Jan. 2, 1997 (83-52)

BRUTAL FINAL STRETCH
The Rebels are looking to finish strong in the eyes of various postseason tournament committees, but the stretch Ole Miss has had to ride the last month has not been smooth. The Rebels were recently and briefly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, thanks in large part to a stretch since Jan. 28 during which Ole Miss has played five ranked teams in seven games, with those seven teams holding an average NET rating of 23.3 and a combined record of 111-42 (.725). In that stretch, the Rebels are 2-5 with wins over No. 14 Kentucky (72-60) and at Alabama (67-62).

COACH YO VS. THE TOP-25
Being in the SEC means facing some of the toughest schools in the nation, and Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has had a tough road through her first few seasons in Oxford. Coach Yo's Rebels have gone up against 19 nationally ranked squads, 18 of which have come in SEC play. Ole Miss now has two wins against in that stretch: a 55-49 upset over No. 16 Kentucky in Lexington on Jan. 13, 2019 (the first ranked road win by a Rebel team since 2011 and first at UK since 2007), and a 72-60 win over No. 14 Kentucky on Feb. 4, 2021.

vs. Ranked Schools (First Year)
#2 UConn - Nov. 22, 2018 (L, 90-50)
#16 Kentucky - Jan. 13, 2019 (W, 55-49)
#6 MSU - Jan. 27, 2019 (L, 80-49)
#20 Texas A&M - Feb. 3, 2019 (L, 72-60)
#12 S. Carolina - Feb. 7, 2019 (L, 76-42)
#6 MSU - Feb. 21, 2019 (L, 88-60)

vs. Ranked Schools (Second Year)
#10 Texas A&M - Jan. 6, 2020 (L, 79-35)
#23 Tennessee - Jan. 9, 2020 (L, 84-28)
#9 MSU - Jan. 26, 2020 (L, 80-39)
#1 S. Carolina - Jan. 30, 2020 (L, 87-32)
#23 Arkansas - Feb. 16, 2020 (L, 108-64)
#14 Kentucky - Feb. 20, 2020 (L, 94-52)
#9 MSU - March 1, 2020 (L, 84-59)

vs. Ranked Schools (Third Year)
#14 MSU - Jan. 10, 2021 (L, 60-56)
#20 Tennessee - Jan. 28, 2021 (L, 68-67)
#14 Kentucky - Feb. 4, 2021 (W, 72-60)
#18 Arkansas - Feb. 19, 2021 (L, 84-74)
#5 Texas A&M - Feb. 21, 2021 (L, 66-55)
#5 South Carolina - Feb. 25, 2021 (L, 68-43)

SWEET, SWEET VICTORY
When Ole Miss has won, it has won big. On the season, the Rebels hold an average scoring margin of 37.3 points in wins, helped by a large 16.0 point swing in wins vs. losses. Ole Miss is also shooting 8.1 percent better from beyond the arc in victories, and is winning the rebounding battle by a margin of 8.3 boards better in wins.

HOME SWEET HOME
Ole Miss has enjoyed playing in The Pavilion in 2020-21, owning a 7-4 record and several impressive stat lines vs. its road contests. At home, the Rebels are scoring 13.0 more points per game, outscoring opponents by an average of 15.6 more points per game, shooting 9.1 percent better from beyond the arc and averaging 11.2 more assists, 1.7 more steals, 1.0 more blocks and 3.1 more turnovers forced on defense.

SHARING IS CARING
The Ole Miss offense has been highly efficient, and that is due in large part to its ability to share the ball. The Rebels currently rank fifth in the SEC with an average of 14.8 assists per game, helped greatly by five games of 20 or more assists and seven of at least 19. Since 1995, Ole Miss has had a max of six games with 20 assists or more, doing so twice in consecutive seasons in 2008-09 and 2009-10. The Rebels own two of the five best assist outings in the SEC this year, with a 26-assist game vs. Alcorn State and a 25-assist contest vs. McNeese State. The 26 dimes by the Rebel offense vs. Alcorn ranks as the most since 2009. Ole Miss tallied 20 in three consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 13-20, 2009.

On the season, the Rebels are tallying an assist on 57.0 percent of their made field goals.

Percentage of FG with Assists
Game 1 (McNeese): 25-35 (71.4%)
Game 2 (Kansas): 16-25 (64.0%)
Game 3 (Alcorn): 26-40 (65.0%)
Game 4 (MVSU): 21-33 (63.6%)
Game 5 (Jackson St.): 20-27 (74.1%)
Game 6 (George Mason): 10-of-26 (38.5%)
Game 7 (LSU): 17-of-24 (70.8%)
Game 8 (Auburn): 19-of-22 (86.5%)
Game 9 (at #14 MSU): 5-of-22 (22.7%)
Game 10 (vs. Mizzou): 23-of-29 (79.3%)
Game 11 (at UGA): 9-of-23 (39.1%)
Game 12 (vs. Florida): 19-of-28 (67.9%)
Game 13 (at #20 Tenn.): 9-of-27 (33.3%)
Game 14 (at LSU): 9-of-24 (37.5%)
Game 15 (vs. #14 Kentucky): 15-of-27 (55.6%)
Game 16 (at Alabama): 11-of-26 (42.3%)
Game 17 (at #18 Arkansas): 8-of-27 (29.6%)
Game 18 (vs. #5 Texas A&M): 14-of-22 (63.6%)
Game 19 (at #5 S. Carolina): 5-of-16 (31.3%)
Total: 281-of-500 (56.2%)

AIN'T WASTING TIME NO MORE
The new crop of Rebels on the floor for Ole Miss this season has wasted no time in establishing their presence, scoring a combined 75.1 percent of all scoring this season (1010 of 1345).

vs. McNeese State: 88 of 99 (88.9 percent)
vs. Kansas: 56 of 70 (80.0 percent)
vs. Alcorn State: 77 of 104 (74.0 percent)
vs. MVSU: 66 of 86 (76.7 percent)
vs. Jackson St.: 65 of 89 (73.0 percent)
at George Mason: 53 of 64 (82.8 percent)
vs. LSU: 51 of 69 (73.9 percent)
vs. Auburn: 43 of 62 (69.4 percent)
at #14 MSU: 38 of 56 (67.9 percent)
vs. Mizzou: 74 of 77 (96.1 percent)
at Georgia: 36 of 57 (63.2 percent)
vs. Florida: 39 of 68 (57.4 percent)
at #20 Tenn.: 53 of 67 (79.1 percent)
at LSU: 49 of 66 (74.2 percent)
vs. #14 Kentucky: 49 of 72 (68.1 percent)
at Alabama: 53 of 67 (79.1 percent)
at #18 Arkansas: 50 of 74 (67.6 percent)
vs. #5 Texas A&M: 39 of 55 (70.9 percent)
at #5 South Carolina: 31 of 43 (72.1 percent)

Furthermore, the quartet of Shakira Austin (336 points), Donnetta Johnson (226 points), Madison Scott (166 points) and Snudda Collins (132 points) are together accounting for 63.9 percent of all season scoring this year.

LEAVIN' EM IN THE DUST
Ole Miss has gotten the upper hand from the jump on the offensive end, including six wire-to-wire wins. On the year, the Rebels have led for 59.5 percent of all game time this season in 770 total minutes played. Additionally, Ole Miss has led for 41.9 percent of all game time in SEC season.

2020-21 Lead/Trail
Total Minutes: 770:00
Ole Miss Lead Time: 457:52
Ole Miss Trail Time: 273:07
Time Tied: 38:19
Percentage Led: 59.5%

2020-21 Lead/Trail (SEC Season)
Total Minutes: 530:00
Ole Miss Lead Time: 222:17
Ole Miss Trail Time: 272:15
Time Tied: 34:28
Percentage Led: 41.9%

BABY REBELS
With a slew of new faces on the Ole Miss roster, the Rebels own the 10th- youngest roster in the nation with an average age of 19.67 as of Nov. 25. Furthermore, Ole Miss is one of just three programs nationwide with its entire roster to have two or fewer years of Division I experience at the start of the year (alongside Indiana State and Murray State).

OFF THE LINE
Three-point defense has been a point of emphasis during the Coach Yo era, with 51 of 80 opponents being held to five or fewer.

1st Season (2018-19)
17-of-31 (54.8%)

2nd Season (2019-20)
21-of-30 (70.0%)

3rd Season (2020-21)
13-of-19 (68.4%)

HISTORIC START
The 2020-21 Rebel squad got off to a spectacular start on both ends of the court, notching the fewest points allowed through six games in school history (290). Ole Miss scored at least 80 points in four of its first five for the first time since 2006-07 (after scoring 80 or more just twice in the entirety of the 2019-20 season) and has scored 90 or more twice after not doing so in an entire season since 2017-18.

The Rebels have posted two historic win margins as well, with a 56-point win vs. Alcorn State (104-48) and a 55-point win vs. McNeese State (99-44) ranking sixth and seventh in program history -- the largest wins at Ole Miss since 2015. The 104-point outing vs. Alcorn State is the 35th 100-point game in program history and the first by a Rebel squad since 2015.

Furthermore, Ole Miss' 6-0 start marked just the 12th time in 46 years of the program that a Rebel team has started off 6-0 or better -- the best start since the 2008-09 season.

Best Starts in Ole Miss History
Final /Current Record in Parenthesis
1986-87: 16-0 (25-5; Sweet 16)
1987-88: 15-0 (24-7; Sweet 16)
1988-89: 13-0 (23-8; Elite Eight)
2000-01: 11-0 (15-13; WNIT)
1994-95: 11-0 (21-8; NCAA Tournament)
1982-83: 11-0 (26-6; Sweet 16)
1975-76: 11-0 (19-8)
1981-82: 10-0 (27-5; NCAA Tournament)
1983-84: 8-0 (24-6; Sweet 16)
2008-09: 7-0 (18-15; WNIT)
2002-03: 7-0 (12-16)
1978-79: 7-0 (31-9)
2020-21: 6-0 (7-4)

LIGHTS. OUT.
The Rebels simply couldn't miss against Alcorn State on Dec. 8, nearly breaking the school record for single-game shooting percentage. Ole Miss wound up with the second-best mark in school history at 61.5 percent, helped greatly by a 64.7 percent first-half percentage that ranked as the best since 2014 (Jan. 16, vs. Vanderbilt, 68.0), and best in non-conference since 2009 (Dec. 20, vs. Winston-Salem State, 65.6).

Single-Game FG Shooting, All-Time
1. vs. New Orleans (2004-05) - 63.1
2. vs. Alcorn State (2020-21) - 61.5
3. vs. Winston-Salem St. (2009-10) - 60.3
4. vs. Vanderbilt (1985-86) - 60.0

REBS SNAP STREAK VS. AUBURN
Ole Miss finished its first perfect non-conference season in program history at 6-0 and followed that up by snapping a 22-game SEC regular season losing streak with a 62-58 victory over Auburn on Jan. 7. The win was the first since Feb. 14, 2019 vs. Vanderbilt (65-60), as well as the first wire-to-wire SEC win since Jan. 20, 2019 vs. Florida (76-66).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

1,000 POINTS FOR SHAKIRA
Shakira Austin eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career late in the game at No. 5 South Carolina on Feb. 25, making her the 31st Rebel to ever surpass the milestone in an Ole Miss jersey. With her performance, she is now the only active player in the SEC with 1,000 career points (1,004), 700 career rebounds (703) and 150 career blocks (159). Austin tallied up 668 points in two seasons at Maryland. Austin ranks third in blocks among current SEC players behind Aifuwa's 187 and Georgia's Jenna Staiti with 173.

AUSTIN NAMED TO LISA LESLIE TOP-10 LIST
Rebel junior and reigning SEC Player of the Week Shakira Austin has earned national attention after making the first cutoff list for the Lisa Leslie Award on their Top-10 list, released on Feb. 5. Austin joins South Carolina's Aliyah Boston -- the 2020 winner -- as the lone SEC representatives on the Top-10 list.

2021 Lisa Leslie Award Top-10 Candidates
Queen Egbo, Baylor
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Janelle Bailey, North Carolina
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
Nancy Mulkey, Rice
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Kamilla Cardoso, Syracuse
Charli Collier, Texas

SHAKIRA ON A TEAR
Ole Miss junior Shakira Austin has been simply unstoppable in 2020-21, but she has been sublime in SEC play. In conference action, Austin ranks third in shooting percentage (.542) and is averaging 17.6 points. She recently went on a five-game rip of consecutive double-doubles, the first Rebel to do so in five straight SEC games since All-American Armintie Price clipped off seven in a row during her senior year in 2006-07. In that stretch, Austin had games of 12-12 at LSU, 21-12 vs. No. 14 Kentucky, 25-13 at Alabama, 17-11 at No. 18 Arkansas and 16-10 vs. No. 5 Texas A&M, and during she didn't missed often, shooting 62.7 percent.

This isn't the first dominant stretch for the junior, who was especially effective in a six-game stretch from Dec. 15 to Jan. 14. In that span, Austin scored 20 points or more in five of the six games, averaging 20.5 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting 50 percent overall, 33 percent from beyond the arc and 78 percent from the free throw line.

In that stretch were four straight 20-point games vs. Jackson State (22; Dec. 15), George Mason (24; Dec. 19), LSU (20; Jan. 4) and Auburn (25; Jan. 7), making her the first Rebel to do so in four straight since Bianca Thomas did twice during the 2009-10 season. After being stymied at No. 14 Mississippi State, Austin came back with a vengeance vs. Missouri, dropping a career-high 26 points.

BALL DON'T LIE
Ole Miss garnered national attention when it added ESPN's No. 1 rated transfer in April, Shakira Austin of Maryland, and as a Rebel she has not disappointed. Austin leads all Rebels and ranks eighth in the SEC with 17.7 points per game and third with a 53.5 percent clip from the field, while also chipping in 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.6 steals and 1.3 assists per game. The Preseason All-SEC honoree and Lisa Leslie Award Watch List member has especially been a dominant force down low for the Rebels, recording multiple blocks in nine games -- pushing her career total to games with multiple blocks to 35. Austin has also been in double-digits in 18 of her of her first 19 games as a Rebel, making her new career total 53. She recently recorded her 23rd career double-double and eighth as a Rebel vs. No. 5 Texas A&M.

Austin was a significant contributor on two Big Ten championship teams at Maryland in 2019 and 2020, averaging 10.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, while shooting 47.2 percent overall in 66 games and 47 starts. Austin shattered the Maryland single-season blocks record her freshman season with 89, earning her a spot on both the Big Ten Defensive Team and All-Freshman team, and followed that up with a slot on the 2020 All-Big Ten Second Team after ranking No. 1 nationally in 2019-20 in advanced analytic On-Court Forced Turnover Rate (via Pivot Analysis). Coming out of Riverdale Baptist, Austin was ESPN's No. 3 overall prospect and a McDonald's All-American.

REBELS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Ole Miss has not shied away from the national spotlight in 2020-21, with several players posting several impressive stat lines both on national TV and vs. ranked teams. Sophomore Donnetta Johnson has been especially effective in both scenarios, averaging 13.6 points and shooting 36.3 percent on national TV while also averaging 12.3 points and shooting 37.0 against ranked opponents. Shakira Austin has been a force vs. ranked teams, averaging a near double-double at 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds and a 55.7 percent clip from the field. Freshman Madison Scott has been equally as efficient vs. ranked squads at 8.2 points and 6.2 boards and a 51.9 percent field goal percentage, while senior Valerie Nesbitt has been excellent on national TV with 10.8 points, a 50 percent shooting percentage and 3.6 assists per game.

RARIFIED COMPANY
Ole Miss freshman Madison Scott's fifth SEC Freshman of the Week honor put her into a special group of 12 players in SEC history to have won the honor at least five times. Of those 12, only three did not win SEC Freshman of the Year by season's end: Jasmine James (2010, Georgia), Danielle Ballard (2013, LSU) and Jordan Lewis (2017, Alabama).

Rhyne Howard, Kentucky (2019) – 8 *
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri (2016) – 6 *
Candace Parker, Tennessee (2006) – 5 *
Angie Bjorklund, Tennessee (2008) – 5 *
C'eira Ricketts, Arkansas (2009) – 5 *
Jasmine James, Georgia (2010) – 5
Danielle Ballard, LSU (2013) – 5
Alaina Coates, South Carolina (2014) – 5 *
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina (2015) – 5 *
Jordan Lewis, Alabama (2017) – 5
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina (2020) – 5 *
Madison Scott, Ole Miss (2021) – 5

* = Won SEC Freshman of the Year

YOUNG GUNS
Ole Miss had a lot of hype entering 2020-21 due to its SEC top-ranked recruiting class, but the young Rebels have backed that up with superb play. Ole Miss has received a program-record seven SEC Freshman of the Week honors this season -- two from Snudda Collins and five from Madison Scott -- and combined with Shakira Austin's Player of the Week honor on Feb. 9 broke the Ole Miss program record for total weekly honors in a season, topping the old mrk of six set by the 2006-07 Elite Eight team (four Players of the Week, two Freshmen).

MADI CRASHING THE BOARDS
Four-time- SEC Freshman of the Week Madison Scott put on a rebounding clinic at LSU on Jan. 31, hauling in a career-high 16 boards to go along with 12 points for her second career double-double (she now has four). Her 16 rebounds stand as the most by a Rebel since Bretta Hart recorded 18 vs. Western Kentcuky on Dec. 12, 2015. Furthermore, it was the most rebounds by a Rebel in an SEC game since Feb. 13, 2014 (Tia Faleru, at Kentucky, 16) and the most by a Rebel freshman since Feb. 6, 2011 (Pa'Sonna Hope, vs. LSU, 16). Scott leads all SEC freshmen and is tied for 13th nationally among freshmen in rebounding this season at her average of 7.2 per game.

NICE SHOOTIN' KID
Two-time SEC Freshman of the Week Snudda Collins has been a serious three-point threat for the Rebels in the early going of her career, leading all SEC freshmen and ranking 13th overall at 1.7 threes per game. Additionally, Collins' three-point percentage of 41.3 ranks fourth among all freshmen nationally. Collins has hit three trifectas or more in a game seven times this season, highlighted by a five three-pointer outing in her Ole Miss debut vs. McNeese State on Nov. 30. Collins lit the net on fire, leading all scorers with 23 points off the bench with a 5-of-8 clip from beyond the arc to boot. Her 23 points stand as the most ever by a Rebel freshman in a season opener (in available records). Collins was the leader of a bevy of newcomers on the floor vs. the Cowgirls, who combined for 88 of the 99 total points Ole Miss scored -- the most in the Coach Yo era and the most by a Rebel squad in a season opener since 2005. Furthermore, her 23 points were the most by any Rebel in an opener since 2017. At Brookhaven High School, Collins helped lead her team to the 5A state title game her senior season to cap off an extraordinary career that saw her average 12.0 points and end as the No. 4 ranked prospect in Mississippi.

VALERIE!
Ole Miss senior Valerie Nesbitt has been heating up at the right time for the Rebels, starting seven of the last 10 games and averaging 8.2 points in that stretch against 5.1 points per game prior.

Nesbitt enjoyed time in the national spotlight during the Rebels' near-upset of No. 14 Mississippi State, helping lead a late fourth quarter charge to cut the lead to two points multiple times. Nesbitt scored 10 of her season-high 18 points in the final frame, falling just two points shy of her career best 20 vs. Alcorn State last season. Nesbitt again scored 18 vs. Florida on Jan. 24, while also dishing out a career-high seven assists.

As a junior, Nesbitt led all Rebels in steals (despite playing just 15 games) and became the only Rebel in recorded history to record eight or more steals and assists in a single game after a 12-point, 8-assist, 8-steal and 6-rebound game vs. Louisiana Tech on Nov. 23, 2019.

THE WAIT IS OVER
Redshirt sophomore Donnetta Johnson waited a long time to play basketball again after sitting out 2018-19 due to NCAA transfer rules. She has quickly asserted herself as a dynamic scoring option for the Rebels, ranking second on the team with an average of 11.9 points. Johnson has put on a show on national TV twice this season, dropping a career-high 25 points at No. 14 Mississippi State and 21 vs. Kansas, showcasing her ambidextrous style of shooting in both contests. Johnson followed up her career day vs. MSU with a 20-point performance vs. Missouri, her first consecutive 20-point games in her career. In SEC play, Johnson is averaging 11.5 points per contest and is shooting 37.0 percent from the field.

Johnson played in 27 games and started eight her freshman season at Georgia in 2018-19 before transferring to Ole Miss and sitting out last season. At Georgia, Johnson sparked the Bulldogs in a historic upset over No. 13 Tennessee, which earned her SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Johnson was the No. 28 guard nationally coming out of Baldwin High School in Queens, New York.

OLD GUARD
Redshirt junior Mimi Reid returns as the Rebel with the most experience in 2020-21, with 65 career starts to her name. The Bronx native has finished each of her first two seasons at Ole Miss ranked in the top-10 in the SEC in assists, finishing last season seventh at 4.1 per game, and she has showed no signs of slowing down in 2020-21 as she currently ranks second in the SEC at 4.5 dimes per contest. Reid has three of the top-five single-game assist totals in the SEC in 2020-21, including a 10-assist performance vs. LSU for her fourth career double-digit assist game.

Reid has also flashed some scoring aptitude since late last year, scoring 14 points vs. No. 14 Kentucky and 16 at No. 18 Arkansas, and last year she averaged 15.4 points and shooting 43.6 percent overall in a five-game stretch from Feb. 13-27. In all five games in that stretch Reid scored in double digits (she had never done so in three straight prior to 2019-20) and her offensive prowess was highlighted by a career-high 21 points at Tennessee on Feb. 27, the first time she had broken 20 points in her career. Furthermore, Reid hit 18 straight free throws across four games from Feb. 16-27, ending up with a 19-of-22 (.864) line in that stretch.

BIG FISH
Five-star signee Madison Scott has proved why she was a top-flight recruit coming out of high school, playing a pivotal role for the Rebels through her first games in an Ole Miss jersey. Scott leads all SEC freshmen in rebounding (7.2) and has already been named the SEC Freshman of the Week five times in her young career, winning back-to-back weeks on Dec. 15 and Dec. 23 and then again three straight weeks on Feb. 2, Feb. 9 and Feb. 16. On the year, she has recorded four double-doubles, the most rebounds in a game by a Rebel since 2015 and is averaging 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and is shooting a whopping 61.9 percent from the field.

Scott, the No. 13 national prospect out of Bishop McNamara in Maryland, is the first McDonald's All-American in Ole Miss women's basketball history (and just the second overall). Scott had a prolific career at Bishop McNamara, which was capped off by a senior season in which she was named the Washington Post Metro Player of the Year after notching a line of 13.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.8 steals and a .570 shooting percentage her senior season.

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

Shakira Austin

Snudda Collins

Donnetta Johnson

Valerie Nesbitt

Mimi Reid

Madison Scott

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