Postseason Play Awaits Rebels at WNIT vs. Samford on Friday

			OLE MISS (11-11, 4-10 SEC) vs. SAMFORD (14-9, 11-2 SoCon) Friday, March 19 • 5 p.m. • Collierville, Tenn. My Town Movers Fieldhouse (Collierville High School)
Watch • Live Stats • Listen • WNIT Info Ole Miss Game Notes • Samford Game Notes

COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. – Ole Miss women's basketball returns to the postseason for the first time in four years when it opens WNIT play in the Memphis Regional on Friday night. The Rebels' first round matchup will be vs. Samford, with tipoff set for 5 p.m. CT at Collierville High School and streamed online via the subscription service FloHoops.

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (11-11, 4-10 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (27-56) • 121-119 career record (8th Season)

Samford Bulldogs (14-9, 11-2 SoCon)
Head Coach: Carley Kuhns • 2nd Season at Samford (32-23) • 98-52 career record (5th Season)

ON THE AIR

Online Stream: FloHoops
Play-by-Play: Greg Gaston
Play-by-Play: Eli Savoie
Play-by-Play: Tyler Springs

OLE MISS RADIO

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

SERIES NOTES vs. SAMFORD

Series History
Samford leads, 1

Current Streak
Samford, 1

First Meeting
March 18, 2010
• L, 66-65
• WNIT First Round
• Samford's Savannah Hill: GW layup with five seconds left
• Ole Miss' Kayla Melson's GW attempt at the buzzer hit the rim, bounced twice and fell out
• Samford: 18-of-21 FT, hit their last 15 in a row
• Bianca Thomas: 22 points, 5 3PM

ABOUT THE WNIT

The Postseason WNIT – run by Triple Crown Sports – has been run since 1998 and has been a full 64-team postseason tournament with games played at host sites since 2006. However, due to the pandemic, the tournament field was halved and instead of home sites, the WNIT moved to a NCAA-like regional model, with the four regions being: Charlotte, North Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Rockford, Illinois. The WNIT semifinal and championship rounds will be held at the final site of Memphis at Collierville High School, and games from all rounds will air live on the subscription service FloHoops.

This year, each team will have a two-game guarantee, with a consolation final in each region before finalizing the regional champions. The 2021 tournament features four teams from the Atlantic 10 and three teams each from the Big East, Missouri Valley and SEC. Five conferences placed two each — American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West and Pac-12. Other conferences represented include the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Colonial, West Coast, Horizon, Ohio Valley, Southern, Sun Belt and Western Athletic.

2021 WNIT Schedule • Memphis Regional

First Round (March 19, Collierville HS)
vs. Samford (14-9), 5 p.m. CT

Second Round (March 20, Collierville HS)
8 p.m. CT

Third Round (March 22, Collierville HS)
7 p.m. CT

Semifinal (March 26, Collierville HS)
7 p.m. CT

WNIT Title Game (March 28, Collierville HS)
1 p.m. CT

Consolation Game 1 (Collierville HS)
March 20, 2 p.m. CT (if necessary)

Consolation Game 2 (Collierville HS)
March 22, 4 p.m. CT (if necessary)

OLE MISS WNIT HISTORY

This is the 25th total postseason appearance for Ole Miss women's basketball and eighth WNIT berth for the Rebels, the first since the 2016-17 season. All-time, the Rebels hold a 4-7 record in the WNIT, advancing as far as the Third Round twice in 2005-06 and 2014-15.

Notes:
W-L: 4-7
Last: 2017 (First Round)
Total WNIT Appearances: 8

1998-99
First Round: at UT Martin (L, 77-66)

2000-01
First Round: at Western Kentucky (L, 95-92)

2005-06
First Round: Bye
Second Round: at Kansas (W, 78-76)
Third Round: at Pittsburgh (L, 85-76)

2008-09
Second Round: vs. Murray State (W, 87-49)
Third Round: at South Florida (L, 74-57)

2009-10
First Round: at Samford (L, 66-65)

2014-15
First Round: vs. UT Martin (W, 80-70)
Second Round: vs. Georgia Tech (W, 63-48)
Third Round: at Middle Tennessee (L, 82-70)

2016-17
First Round: vs. Grambling (L, 78-75)

SCOUTING SAMFORD

Record
14-9, 11-2 SoCon

National Rankings
AP Ranking: NR
Coaches Ranking: NR

Last Game
March 4 • L, 68-61, vs. ETSU
• SoCon Quarterfinal
• Samford: No. 1 seed; ETSU: No. 8 seed
• Top Scorer: Andrea Cournoyer (31)

LAST TIME OUT (vs. #14 TENNESSEE)
One of the youngest rosters in the country took command and gave the No. 14 Tennessee Lady Vols all they could handle, but a couple freak buzzer beaters and a late run by Tennessee ended up being the difference in a 77-72 loss on March 5. The defeat ended the Rebels' stay at the SEC Tournament, with their Quarterfinal appearance being the furthest Ole Miss has advanced since 2010.

Ole Miss (11-11) and the 14th-ranked Lady Vols (16-6) were evenly matched from jump to finish, with both teams nearly splitting the lead time right down the middle. The Rebel defense led a ferocious charge in the second quarter to erase what had been an eight-point deficit in the first, and helped propel Ole Miss to an eight-point lead of their own heading into the fourth quarter. However, Tennessee turned on the jets in the final frame, winning it 28-15.

The Rebels, to their credit, never gave in. Even when facing a nine-point hole with less than three minutes to play, Ole Miss dug deep to keep the dream alive. This gritty display of resilience culminated with Donnetta Johnson (20 points) picking the pocket of Rae Burrell for a crucial steal with 14 seconds left while the entire arena was yelling for her to foul. It was a gutsy move that nearly paid off, as her pull-up three-point attempt to tie the game hit the back of the rim and the second chance opportunity came up in smoke.

It appeared the out-of-bounds play with 6.5 seconds left would give the Rebels one more chance at sending the game to overtime, but an official review reversed the call, thus sealing the fate for Ole Miss.

In a game where Tennessee just led 32 seconds more of the contest, the Rebels shot 43 percent (28-for-65) from the floor while coming up with a whopping 23 turnovers and 13 steals defensively. Johnson capped off the night with 20 points (9-for-19 FG) to lead Ole Miss, while Shakira Austin had 14 points and seven rebounds before battling an injury late in the game during that key Lady Vol run. Freshman Jacorriah Bracey finished with a career-high 13 points (5-for-10 FG) while also going 3-for-6 beyond the arc. On the other side, Rennia Davis scored 33 points (10-for-19 FG, 2-for-3 3FG) and came away with 14 rebounds.

TEAM NOTES

COVID-19 HITS OLE MISS COACHING STAFF
Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin will not be with the team for at least the first few games of the WNIT after testing positive for COVID-19 this week. The acting head coach will be determined on a game-by-game basis, and up first vs. Samford is assistant coach and former Rebel All-American standout, Armintie Herrington. Statistically, per NCAA statisticians guidelines, all games that Coach Yo will miss while in quarantine will still count toward her overall career and Ole Miss records.

COACH YO CONTRACT EXTENDED
After a breakthrough year filled with remarkable highs, Ole Miss women's basketball head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has agreed to a new four-year contract that runs through 2025, Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter announced on March 10.

McPhee-McCuin is coming off an exciting third season as head coach for the Rebels, who put the SEC on notice with an exhilarating 2020-21 season. Built around the SEC's top-ranked recruiting class and ESPN's No. 1 rated transfer in Shakira Austin, the Rebels consistently shocked the basketball world, notching three ranked victories, four NET top-50 wins, several other narrow ranked losses and a run to the SEC quarterfinal for the first time since 2010. In the SEC Tournament, Ole Miss notched its highest ranked win of the year over No. 13 Arkansas in the Second Round (69-60) – which had beat No. 1 UConn earlier this season – and narrowly missed out on beating No. 14 Tennessee in the quarterfinal, falling 77-72 in a spectacular back-and-forth affair.

Austin was the standard-bearer for Ole Miss all season long, ending as the first Rebel to earn First-Team All-SEC since 2014-15 and as a member of the Lisa Leslie Award Top-10 list in February. She ended the regular season as the only player in the SEC to finish ranked in the top-15 in field goal percentage (.521), points (18.2), blocks (1.6), rebounds (8.8), steals (1.7) and free throw shooting (.738). Throughout the season she recorded 21 games in double-digit scoring, 10 games with 20 points or more, and 10 double-doubles, including five in a row to become the first Rebel to notch five straight in SEC games since 2007 (7, Armintie Price).

Madison Scott, the program's first McDonald's All-American, came away as SEC Freshman of the Year, the first for Ole Miss since All-American Armintie Price won in 2003-04. Combined with Snudda Collins' appearance on the All-Freshman team alongside Scott, the three Rebel all-conference honorees stand as the most for an Ole Miss squad since 1992.

BRUTAL FINAL STRETCH
Ole Miss came up short of its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2007 after putting together a strong resume, particularly down the stretch in February. The Rebels ended with a NET of 42 and a strength of schedule of 82, which included a 4-8 record against the NET Top-50, a 3-6 record against ranked teams and a 5-6 record against current NCAA Tournament teams. Over their last eight games, the Rebels were 4-4 against an average NET of 16.8 (only two games at home), and over a brutal stretch of their last five games Ole Miss was 2-3 vs. an average NET of 13.4 (only one game at home).

OLE MISS ONE WIN AWAY FROM 850
A win vs. Samford on Friday would mark the 850th win in program history. All-time, Ole Miss is currently 849-583 (.593) in 46 years of NCAA Division I competition.

PROOF OF CONCEPT
A strong turnaround season for Ole Miss was rewarded thusly by the SEC coaches, with three Rebels earning all-conference honors following the conclusion of the regular season: Shakira Austin (First-Team All-SEC), Madison Scott (Freshman of the Year, All-Freshman) and Snudda Collins (All-Freshman). The three total team selections (All-SEC, All-Freshman) are the most by a Rebel squad since 1992, and trail only the 1988 team's five members and the 1990 team's four members since the All-Freshman team began in 1987.

Shakira Austin • First-Team All-SEC
Austin – a 6-5 forward from Fredericksburg, Virginia – has been dominant in her first season as a Rebel after transferring from Maryland, putting the SEC on notice with her ferocious play on both ends of the court. She is the first Rebel to earn First-Team honors since Tia Faleru did so in 2014-15. On the season, the junior Lisa Leslie Award Top-10 list member is averaging 17.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.5 blocks, 1.3 assists and is shooting 52.1 percent from the field. She has scored in double digits in all but one of her 20 games played this season, which includes nine 20-point games and nine double-doubles.

Austin has been even more lethal in SEC season, during which she has recorded seven of her nine 20-point games and eight of her nine double-doubles. Austin has rarely been cold in 2020-21, but she has two particularly torrid spans of games, including a stretch from Dec. 15 to Jan. 7 where she became the first Rebel to score 20 or more in four straight since 2009-10 (Bianca Thomas), and recently from Jan. 31 to Feb. 21 when she became the first Rebel to record five straight double-doubles in SEC games since All-American and current assistant coach Armintie Herrington did so in seven straight during the 2006-07 Elite Eight season. Austin has showed up for the big games in superb fashion, nearly averaging a double-double at 17.1 points and 9.7 boards while shooting 51.1 percent vs. seven ranked opponents.

She is currently the only active SEC player with 1,000 career points (1,026), 700 career rebounds (715) and 150 career blocks (159), and she is also the only player in the conference this season to rank within the top-15 in the SEC in field goal percentage (3rd, .521), scoring (7th, 17.9), blocks (7th, 1.5), rebounding (10th, 8.7), steals (11th, 1.7) and free throw shooting (15th, .711).

Madison Scott • Freshman of the Year, All-Freshman
Scott – a 6-1 forward from Indian Head, Maryland – is just the fourth Rebel to ever win SEC Freshman of the Year, and the first for Ole Miss since Herrington won in 2003-04. Other winners include Clara Jackson in 1990-91 and Kimsey O'Neal in 1986-87. Furthermore, Scott's combination with Collins on the All-Freshman team ties this year's team with 1988 for the most All-Freshman honorees (Teena Bender, Jackie Martin-Glass).

Scott came into Ole Miss with high expectations as the program's first McDonald's All-American, and did not disappoint in 2020-21. The former five-star No. 13 overall prospect ended the regular season leading all SEC freshmen in both scoring (10.5 PPG) and rebounding (7.4 RPG), with her rebounding total also ranking 13th nationally among freshmen. Scott was the motor for the Rebels on the glass all season long, recording six double-digit rebound games, five double-doubles and 11 games with at least seven boards. Scott was efficient from the field as well, ending at an impressive 59.4 percent.

She was a regular mainstay in the weekly awards throughout the season, winning SEC Freshman of the Week six times. After her sixth and final win on Monday, Scott joined an exclusive club of six-time winners in conference history alongside current SEC Player of the Year Rhyne Howard (8x, 2019) and Mizzou great Sophie Cunningham (6x, 2016).

Snudda Collins • All-Freshman
Collins – a Brookhaven, Mississippi product – took her freshman campaign by the reigns from the jump in her first game and didn't let up, becoming the conference's top freshman three-point shooter. She opened that first game vs. McNeese State with 23 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting, the most points by any Rebel in their freshman debut (in available records). Collins ended the regular season averaging 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds, while shooting a blistering 42.5 percent from beyond the arc at a 37-of-87 clip. Collins' 1.9 threes per game leads all SEC freshmen and ranks 10th overall, and her three-point percentage ranks fourth among all freshmen nationwide in 2020-21.

Throughout her freshman year, Collins hit multiple threes in 10 games and three or more in eight – with seven of those 10 multiple trey games coming during SEC play. Collins was recently crucial for Ole Miss in a 73-69 upset at No. 17 Kentucky, hitting several late threes, including one that essentially sealed the game with less than a minute to play. Collins won SEC Freshman of the Week twice herself, and when combined with Scott's six honors and Austin's Co-Player of the Week award from Feb. 9, the 2020-21 Rebel team shattered the single-season program record for total honors with nine.

SEASON. SWEEP.
The Rebels shocked the Wildcats for a second time in the month of February, taking down a ranked Kentucky squad yet again to complete the season sweep with a 73-69 victory on Feb. 28. The sweep was the first for Ole Miss over Kentucky in program history, and it helped improve Coach Yo's record over the Wildcats to 3-1 -- with all three of those wins coming while Kentucky was ranked.

In those two games, Ole Miss:
• Out-scored UK by a +8.0 margin
• Out-rebounded UK by a +8.0 margin
• Shot .459, held UK to .326
• Shot .429 from 3PT, held UK to .256
• Shakira Austin: 21.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG, .517 FG
• Donnetta Johnson: 13.0 PPG, .478 FG
• Madison Scott: 10.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, .455 FG

Game Two Notes • Feb. 28 • Lexington, Ky.
• Overcame 11-point first half deficit; 17-0 run across both halves
• Shot 44 percent overall and 21-of-25 from the free throw line
• Held Kentucky to 33 percent; held to less than 35 percent shooting in both games vs. Ole Miss
• Shakira Austin: 22 points, 12 rebounds; ninth double-double, had it in the first half alone
• Donnetta Johnson: 14 points
• Madison Scott: 12 points, 10 rebounds; fifth career double-double
• Snudda Collins: 12 points, four 3PM (all in second half)

Game One Notes • Feb. 4 • Oxford, Miss.
• 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.
• Ole Miss dominated glass, 49-34, and points in the paint, 42-20
• Led for 34:23
• 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
• 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)

vs. RANKED TEAMS IN 2020-21
• Record: 3-6
• 64.6 PPG / 68.0 PPG allowed
• .409 FG / .394 FG allowed
• .298 3PT / .313 3PT allowed
• .748 FT
• +2.3 rebounding
• Shakira Austin: 18.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, .513 FG
• Donnetta Johnson: 13.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, .382 FG
• Madison Scott: 7.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, .432 FG

ON NATIONAL TV IN 2020-21
• Record: 4-5
• 64.9 PPG / 63.3 PPG allowed
• .420 FG / .376 FG allowed
• .325 3PT / .344 3PT allowed
• .786 FT
• +1.8 rebounding
• Shakira Austin: 16.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, .486 FG
• Donnetta Johnson: 13.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, .368 FG
• Valerie Nesbitt: 8.3 PPG, 3.1 APG, .462 FG
• Madison Scott: 7.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, .447 FG

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 22 nationally ranked squads, 21 of which have come vs. SEC opponents. Ole Miss now has four 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), a 72-60 win over No. 14 Kentucky on Feb. 4, 2021, another one at No. 17 Kentucky on Feb. 28, 2021 and vs. No. 13 Arkansas in the Second Round of the SEC Tournament (69-60).

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)
#17 Kentucky - Feb. 28, 2021 (W, 73-69)
#13 Arkansas - March 4, 2021 (W, 69-60)
#14 Tennessee - March 5, 2021 (L, 77-72)

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 ended the regular season ranked fifth in the SEC with an average of 14.6 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 55.2 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%)
Game 20 (at #17 Kentucky): 11-of-24 (45.8%)
Game 21 (vs. #13 Arkansas): 12-of-24 (50.0%)
Game 22 (vs. #14 Tennessee): 14-of-28 (50.0%)
Total: 318-of-576 (55.2%)

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 76.8 percent of all scoring this season (1197 of 1559).

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)
at #17 Kentucky: 64 of 73 (87.7 percent)
vs. #13 Arkansas: 60 of 69 (87 percent)
vs. #14 Tennessee: 63 of 72 (87.5 percent)

Furthermore, the quartet of Shakira Austin (401 points), Donnetta Johnson (272 points), Madison Scott (183 points) and Snudda Collins (154 points) are together accounting for 64.8 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 59.9 percent of all game time this season in 890 total minutes played. Additionally, Ole Miss has led for 43.2 percent of all game time vs. SEC opponents season (SEC Tournament included).

2020-21 Lead/Trail
Total Minutes: 890:00
Ole Miss Lead Time: 533:22
Ole Miss Trail Time: 309:37
Time Tied: 46:19
Percentage Led: 59.9%

2020-21 Lead/Trail (SEC Season)
Total Minutes: 690:00
Ole Miss Lead Time: 297:47
Ole Miss Trail Time: 308:45
Time Tied: 42:28
Percentage Led: 43.2%

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 52 of 83 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)
14-of-22 (63.6%)

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 (1,069), 700 career rebounds (735) and 150 career blocks (166). Austin tallied up 668 points in two seasons at Maryland. Austin ranks third in blocks among current SEC players behind LSU Faustine Aifuwa's 190 and Georgia's Jenna Staiti with 188.

AUSTIN NAMED TO LISA LESLIE TOP-10 LIST
Rebel junior and reigning SEC Player of the Week Shakira Austin earned national attention after making the first cutoff list for the Lisa Leslie Award on their Top-10 list, released on Feb. 5. Austin joined 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 by the regular season finale on Feb. 28, Austin ranked fourth in shooting percentage (.522) and is averaging 17.9 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 miss often, shooting 62.7 percent.

This wasn'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 with 18.2 points per game and third with a 52.1 percent clip from the field, while also chipping in 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.7 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 10 games -- pushing her career total to games with multiple blocks to 36. Austin has also been in double-digits in 21 of her of her first 22 games as a Rebel, making her new career total 56. She recently recorded her 25th career double-double and 10th as a Rebel vs. No. 13 Arkansas in the second round of the SEC Tournament.

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.

RARIFIED COMPANY
Ole Miss freshman and SEC Freshman of the Year Madison Scott's sixth SEC Freshman of the Week honor put her into a special group of three players in SEC history to have won the honor at least six times.

Rhyne Howard, Kentucky (2019) – 8 *
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri (2016) – 6 *
Madison Scott, Ole Miss (2021) – 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 *

* = 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 eight 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 mark 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 ended the regular season leading all SEC freshmen and tied for 13th nationally among freshmen in rebounding at her average of 7.4 per game at the time.

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, ending the regular season leading all SEC freshmen and ranking 10th overall at 1.9 threes per game. Additionally, Collins' three-point percentage of 42.5 then ranked fifth among all freshmen nationally. Collins has hit three trifectas or more in a game eight 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.

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 12.4 points. Johnson has put on a show on national TV three times this season, dropping a career-high 25 points at No. 14 Mississippi State, 21 vs. Kansas and 20 vs. No. 14 Tennessee in the SEC Quarterfinals, 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.

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 three seasons at Ole Miss ranked in the top-10 in the SEC in assists, finishing last season seventh at 4.1 per game and second this year in the SEC at 4.4 dimes per contest, while also leading in assist/turnover ratio. 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.

BIG FISH
Five-star signee Madison Scott was the No. 13 national prospect out of Bishop McNamara in Maryland, and 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

Jacorriah Bracey

Snudda Collins

Donnetta Johnson

Valerie Nesbitt

Mimi Reid

Madison Scott

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