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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
South Alabama
Rebels Head to the Coast For Monday Tilt at South Alabama
12/17/2023 | Women's Basketball
TEAM FACTS
RV Ole Miss Rebels (7-3, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 6th Season at Ole Miss (86-78) • 11th Season in Career (180-141)
South Alabama Jaguars (7-3, 0-0 SBC)
Head Coach: Yolisha Jackson • 1st Season at South Alabama (7-3) • 1st Season in Career (7-3)
SERIES NOTES
OLE MISS VS. SOUTH ALABAMA
For the first time since 2017 and the ninth overall, Ole Miss faces off against South Alabama on Monday night.
The Rebels head south to Mobile for the first time since 2013, looking to add to their series advantage at 6-2. On the Jaguars' court, the Rebels lead 2-1.
REBELS VS. THE SUN BELT CONFERENCE
Ole Miss has collected 60 wins all-time against schools from the Sun Belt Conference. The majority of those 60 wins have come against Southern Miss and Louisiana-Monroe.
TEAM NOTES
LAST TIME OUT
A collective team effort with six scoring in double-digits led to Ole Miss jumping back in the win column, with an 84-56 victory over Mississippi Valley State from the SJB Pavilion on Tuesday night.
Six Rebels concluded their night in double-figures, with Snudda Collins leading the way with 14 points off of 6-of-8 shooting. Notching her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, Rita Igbokwe set season-bests in both categories.
Marquesha Davis, Kharyssa Richardson, Tyia Singleton and Kennedy Todd-Williams finished in double-figures as well.
As a team, a block party broke out against the Devilettes with Ole Miss rejecting 14 shots.
BLOCK TO THE TOP
Swatting 14 shots against MVSU, Ole Miss set a new single-game program record against the Devilletes.
The 14 blocks also marked a new SJB Pavilion record, shattering the previous of nine.
Ole Miss' massive performance with 14 rejections are the third most in Division I women's basketball this season.
It was also the third game under McPhee-McCuin that the Rebels have reached double-digits in blocks.
Nationally, Ole Miss ranks eighth overall with an average of 6.1 rejections per game and second in the SEC.
SUPER-TEAM
The victory against Mississippi Valley State was truly a collective effort, with six Rebels ending their night in double-digit scoring.
The effort marked the first game since Dec. 2 of 2020 where six Rebels reached the mark.
Two Rebels currently average double-figures with Snudda Collins and Marquesha Davis each averaging 11.9 points per contest.
QUE FOR THREE
At Southern Miss, Marquesha Davis started off very hot from beyond the arc. Within the first three minutes alone, Davis drained three triples.
The three triples set a new career-high for Davis, as the senior's range continues to expand.
SHE'S A FRESHMAN!
Against Louisville, freshman Zakiya Stephenson sure made her presence known with a career-high six assists and three steals against the Cardinals.
Stephenson is the first Rebel since 2019-20 to dish out five or more assists in multiple games.
POINTS ARE HARD TO STEAL FROM US
For the third consecutive game in a row, once again Ole Miss held its opponent to under 50 points in scoring against Little Rock. Out of 10 games this season, Ole Miss has kept four of its opponents under the threshold.
This is the third time in program history the Rebels have held three straight opponents under 50 points and the second under McPhee-McCuin. The 2021-22 Rebels and the 1990-91 teams are the only others that have held its opponents to the mark.
BATTLE. WON.
In her home country of the Bahamas, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin had herself quite the homecoming with Ole Miss defeating Howard, Arizona and Michigan to claim the 2023 Bad Boy Mowers Battle4Atlantis Championship.
In the championship game against Michigan, Ole Miss shut down the Wolverine offense and came together as a team to win, 60-49.
Off the bench, Marija Avlijas led the Rebels in scoring with a career-high 11 points. Madison Scott joined her in double-figures with 10 points. 10 Rebels made their way into the scoring column, with 12 hitting the court for Ole Miss.
The title is the second tournament win under McPhee-McCuin after winning the 2021 Raising the B.A.R. Invitational Powered by Cal in Berkeley.
WE LOVE NO. 1
Despite leaving the islands with a trophy, Ole Miss lost starting point guard KK Deans for the season.
After suffering a non-contact knee injury in the opening minutes against Michigan, Deans will undergo season ending surgery.
The graduate transfer had been averaging 9.3 points and led the Rebels with 3.8 assists per game. Deans reached double-figure scoring in three games, including a season-high 16 points against Temple.
According to ESPN, Deans was rated as one of ESPN's Top-15 available transfers. Through 114 career appearances, the Greensboro, N.C., native had been averaging 11.6 points per game and accumulated 365 assists.
MVP! MVP! MVP!
Showing up and showing out in the Bahamas, Madison Scott was dominant throughout all three games at the Battle4Atlantis, averaging 13.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
Her stellar performance earned the senior the tournament's most valuable player and all tournament team honors. In the opener against Howard, Scott dropped a career-high tying 21 points and was electric off the glass with a season-high 14 rebounds against the Bison.
The SEC recognized Scott's efforts as well, with her earning SEC Co-Athlete of the Week Honors. The accolade was the first SEC Athlete of the Week honors for Ole Miss since Angel Baker earned the award in December of 2021 and the first of Scott's career.
HERE COMES THE SERBIAN SENSATION
Coming off of the bench following KK Deans going down against Michigan, freshman Marija Avlijas came in and looked like a veteran.
The Belgrade, Serbia, native, dropped a career-best 11 points against the Wolverines off of 5-of-10 shooting.
Avlijas is no stranger to the big stage after spending time on the pro-circuit in Europe and with the Serbian National Team.
DICTATE AND DISRUPT
It should be well known by now the goals of the Ole Miss defense to dictate and disrupt and the Rebels sure made Arizona and Michigan uncomfortable, holding the two programs to under 50 points at 47 and 49.
In yet another defensive clinic in the Battle4Atlantis Championship game against Michigan, Ole Miss held yet another Power Five team under 50 points in the second straight game for the first time in program history.
MILESTONE WATCH
SNUDDA COLLINS
• 153 career made three's - needs 12 more to crack top-five in Ole Miss history.
MADISON SCOTT
• 1016 career-points became the 29th player to score 1,000 points at Ole Miss.
• 24 career double-doubles - currently sits at No. 9 at Ole Miss.
KENNEDY TODD-WILLIAMS
• 995 career-points - 5 away from 1,000.
FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY, STING LIKE QUE
Ever since cracking the starting lineup mid-way through last season, Marquesha Davis has blossomed as one of Ole Miss' rising stars.
Her calm demeanor has proven to be a key factor for the Rebels, averaging 10.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in her Ole Miss career.
Against Arizona, Davis put on a season-best performance with 17 points. In eight games this year, Davis is averaging 11.9 points per contest.
Her play in the Bahamas earned her Battle4Atlantis All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 12.7 points throughout the tournament.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE, MADI'S CAUSING TROUBLE
Notching her 24th career double-double against Arizona with 10 points and 11 rebounds, Madison Scott now sits ninth at Ole Miss in the category.
Her performance against the Wildcats was her second consecutive double-double after recording 21 points and 14 rebounds against Howard. This is the first time since December of 2022 that Scott recorded a double-double in back-to-back games.
WE DEFEND LIKE NO OTHER
An intense defensive battle against Arizona once again proved how dangerous the Ole Miss defense is, only allowing 47 points against a potent Wildcat offense.
Ole Miss followed up this performance, holding Michigan to 49 points.
For the fourth time this season against Little Rock, Ole Miss held its opponent to under 50-points. The Rebels have now held its last two Pac-12 opponents to under 50-points in scoring, keeping Stanford to 49 last year in the NCAA Tournament.
Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Ole Miss has now held eight Power Five opponents under 50 points.
SHOTS UP AND ON POINT
While the Rebels were smoothly spreading the ball around against Temple, Ole Miss was draining its shots at a high percentage. 51.8% on the game to be exact.
A big first quarter in which the Rebs shot 10-15 from the field for a clip of 66.7%, aided the team to record its highest field goal percentage against a non-conference opponent since Ole Miss shot 53.7% at Cincinnati in December of 2021.
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
Against Oklahoma and Temple, five players scored in double-figures for Ole Miss in a rare occurrence for the program.
The Rebels last had five players in double-digit scoring once during the 2021-22 season, happening against Mississippi State and Texas A&M.
HOME SWEET HOME
Rebel nation has turned the SJB Pavilion into an intimidating environment for visiting teams, especially in the non-conference slate.
Ole Miss has won 23 of its last 26 games at home against non-conference visitors, dating back to the 2020 season.
DYNAMIC DUO
Now in year four together, Snudda Collins and Madison Scott feed off one another with the pair contributing to each other's success on the court.
When both Collins and Scott finish in double-figure scoring, the Rebels are bound to win at a record of 16-1.
THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS
The motto of "We Defend" has not gone anywhere in the Rebel program, with Ole Miss once again reinforcing the message against Queens.
Outrebounding the Royals 55 to 28 for a rebounding margin of +27, set the tone that this team is not to be messed with off the glass.
The margin of +27 set the largest in a single-game under McPhee-McCuin and the most in a game since 2018.
It was the ninth game under McPhee-McCuin in which Ole Miss has outrebounded its opponent by 20 rebounds or more.
DIME DROPPIN' AND NOT STOPPIN'
Sharing is truly caring and against Queens, Ole Miss dished out 24 assists on 34 made field goals. Within the first quarter alone, the Rebels issued an assist on each of their six made shots.
KK Deans led the Rebels with six helpers, followed by Zakiya Stephenson with five. Eight Rebels contributed to the assist account, with Ole Miss issuing the most assists in the first game of a season under McPhee-McCuin.
GOING DEEP
Running 11 players deep against Queens, proved that the Rebel bench will be a key factor throughout the year.
Boosted by Collins with 17 points, the Ole Miss bench accounted for 46 points against the Royals. Four Rebels added five or more points as well.
PAINT PARTY ANYONE?
The Rebels sure made themselves comfortable on the interior against Queens, racking up 50 points in the paint. Ole Miss followed up this performance as well against MVSU, dropping 50 points from the inside.
Anchored by the presence of Rita Igbokwe, Kharyssa Richardson and Madison Scott, the Rebels look to continue its damage in the paint as the season progresses.
STEADY GOING SLIM
After choosing to return to the Rebels this off-season and utilize her sixth season of eligibility, Tyia Singleton is now one of the most tenured players in Division I women's basketball.
Singleton has appeared in 130 games in her collegiate career, making 75 starts. She sits tied for 24th nationally in active games played.
BLOCK PARTY GOIN' NO WHERE
Once again, Ole Miss remains one of the nation's strongest teams around the rim by ranking eighth nationally with a total of 6.1 blocks per game this season.
Through 10 games, Ole Miss has rejected a total of 61 shots this season to date.
ON TO THE NEXT
Following an electrifying NCAA Tournament run to the Sweet 16 which captivated the country with its upset of No. 1 seeded Stanford on its home court, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and Co. are looking to what's next in the 2023-24 season.
The Rebels are primed and poised to compete to earn its third consecutive appearance to the NCAA Tournament and its 20th in program history.
GUESS WHO'S BACK?
In spite of the losses of leaders in Angel Baker and Myah Taylor, the Rebels bring back a strong core of starters in Marquesha Davis, Madison Scott and Tyia Singleton as well as extra depth coming off the bench with Snudda Collins, Elauna Eaton, Rita Igbokwe and Ayanna Thompson.
WHAT'S BACK FOR 2023-24?
• Points: 1,521 of 2,334 (65.1%)
• Rebounds: 1,091 of 1,421 (76.8%)
• Assists: 169 of 419 (40.3%)
• Blocks: 155 of 174 (89.0%)
• 3-Pointers: 101 of 164 (61.5%) – Snudda Collins accounted for 55 of 164 (33.5%)
NO. 4 BUT WANTING MORE
In both the SEC Coaches and the Media Polls, Ole Miss was chosen to finish No. 4 in the conference for the third consecutive year in a row.
Yet another finish in the top-five of the SEC, would give the rebels its third straight finish as one of the best in the SEC for the first time since 1985-1988.
MY OH MADI
The development of Madison Scott since her arrival on campus has been undeniable, with the McDonald's All-American out of Bishop McNamara proving her progress each season.
Year three proved to be the best yet, with the rising senior earning Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive accolades as a junior. Totaling a team leading 11 double-doubles in 2022-23, Scott was also the Rebels' most efficient shooter with a team leading .510 field goal percentage.
Scott enters year four in Oxford touted as one of the best in the conference, earning First Team All-SEC acclaim by the league's coaches and a spot on the Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watch List as one of the nation's top forwards.
PORTAL U
Developing talent is a key component of Coach Yo's vision, with the sixth year coach turning Ole Miss into a hotspot for those looking to grow and for a new home.
Seven Rebels on this season's roster made their way to Ole Miss after hitting the court at a previous school.
McPhee-McCuin hit the portal this off-season once again in search of fresh talent to infuse into the Rebel program, picking up three Power Five transfers, including two of ESPN's Top-15 available.
• Graduate transfer out of Florida, spent three seasons at West Virginia.
• Leading scorer for the Gators in 2022-23 with 14.1 points per game.
• Rated as the No. 14 available transfer by ESPN.
• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention as a junior at WVU.
• Transferred from Auburn following her freshman campaign.
• Appeared in 28 games for the Tigers, starting in 27.
• Led AU in rejections with a total of 23 blocks.
• Former AAU teammate with Rita Igbokwe.
• Joined the Rebels following three seasons at North Carolina.
• Touted as the No. 11 available transfer by ESPN.
• Named Second-Team All-ACC as a junior, ranking second in scoring for the Tar Heels with 13.4 points per game.
• Led Carolina in triples in 2022-23 with a total of 52 makes from beyond the arc.
THE FRESHMEN FIVE
Experience is abundant through the Rebel roster, yet McPhee-McCuin scoured the globe to bring in some of the best talent worldwide with five freshmen joining Ole Miss.
• Ranked as the third best player coming out of Europe by WorldWide Hoops in the class of 2023.
• Represented Serbia at the 2023 U18 Women's European Championship, averaging 20.6 points per game.
• Named the MVP at the 2021 FIBA U16 European Challengers after scoring 25.2 points per game.
• Second Bahamian under McPhee-McCuin at Ole Miss, joining Valerie Nesbitt.
• Integral part in The Webb School winning back-to-back Tennessee Division II-A State Championships in 2021 and 2022.
• Played for the Bahamas at the 2019 Centrobasket U17 Women's Championship.
• Three-sport athlete out of Bonner Springs, lettering in volleyball, basketball and track.
• Averaged 23 points and eight rebounds per game as a junior.
•Two-time Kansas 5A State discus champion.
• Led Princess Anne to back-to-back 5A State Championships in 2021 and 2022.
• Ranked as the No. 29 player in Virginia by MaxPreps.
• Rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 88 player in the nation by ESPN's HoopGurlz.
• Standout at Greenville, averaging 18.5 points, 13.9 rebounds and 6.7 blocks as a junior.
• Earned South Carolina All-State accolades in 2021 and 2022.
• Touted as a four-star prospect and the No. 99 player in the country by ESPN's HoopGurlz.
THE YO EFFECT
Now entering year six into Yolett McPhee-McCuin's guidance at the helm of the Rebels, she is already responsible for two of the program's best starts in the last 30 seasons.
Through the first 18 games:
• 1991-92: 17-1
• 1994-95: 15-3
• 2021-22: 16-2
• 2022-23: 16-2
OFF THE LINE
Three-point defense has been a point of emphasis during the Coach Yo era, with 107 of 153 opponents being held to five or fewer.
1st Season (2018-19)
17-of-32 (53.1%)
2nd Season (2019-20)
21-of-30 (70.0%)
3rd Season (2020-21)
14-of-22 (63.6 %)
4th Season (2021-22)
22-of-31 (70.9%)
5th Season (2022-23)
29-34 (85.2%)
6th Season (2023-24)
7-10 (77.0%)
RITA IGBLOCKWE
A defensive force around the rim against South Carolina in Oxford, Rita Igbokwe's six rejections set a season-high for the senior.
Igbokwe hit 200 in her career in the SEC Quarterfinals. She currently ranks seventh in active blocks nationally with a total of 221.
25 WINS SECURED
With the win over Stanford in the NCAA Tournament, Ole Miss notched its 25th win last season and set another historical milestone. The mark is the most wins in a single-season since the 1986-87 team reached 25 en route to a Sweet 16 berth under Van Chancellor.
Ole Miss now has a total of six 25-win seasons.
Van Chancellor's 1978-79 team holds the program record for most wins in a lone season at 31.
IT JUST MEANS MORE DEFENSE
To open the NCAA Tournament, the Ole Miss defense continued to play at the high-level McPhee-McCuin upholds it to, keeping both Gonzaga and Stanford to under 50 points each.
For the third time last season, Ole Miss held opponents under the mark in back-to-back games. In total, the Rebels have kept eight total opponents to under 50-points in scoring.
The Rebels are just one of two teams in the NCAA Tournament this season to hold both opponents in the first and second rounds to under 50 points in scoring.
DON'T BE SHOCKED
Rebel history proved right once again as with every second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Ole Miss has won all 11 of those games to advance to the Sweet 16.
The win over Stanford pushed Ole Miss to a perfect 11-0 in Round of 32 games in the tournament.
TOURNEY RECORDS SHATTERED
In its first NCAA Tournament win in 16 seasons, Ole Miss made it a memorable one breaking multiple program single-game tournament records.
The 23-point win over the Zags tied the largest in program history in an NCAA Tournament game, as well as holding the Zags to a big dance low of 48 points.
Carried by Collins' hot hands, the Rebels drained an NCAA game high seven three-pointers, while on the boards grabbed a high of 51 rebounds.
Ole Miss has three double-digit winning seasons in conference play. The 1991-92 Rebels went a perfect 11-0 in conference while the 2021-22 squad went 10-6 in league play.
THE BLOCK PARTY NEVER STOPS
The Rebels have proved that defense gets it done in the Coach Yo era and continued to defend around the rim this season as well. The 2021-22 team shattered the program record in single-season blocks at 142 and last year's squad rose to the challenge breaking that.
Through 34 games, Ole Miss rejected 174 shots last season to set the single-season program record.
20 WINS AND COUNTING
By hitting the 20-win mark against Kentucky, Ole Miss hit another major milestone as a program with back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1993-94 & 1994-95.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The comfort of the SJB Pavilion has been welcoming to the Rebels this season, with Ole Miss reaching double-digit wins at home two consecutive years in a row for the first time since the 2007-08 & 2008-09 seasons.
In 2021-22 Ole Miss tallied 10 wins at home while the 2022-23 Rebels reached a total of 14.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Ole Miss continues its road swing with a visit to Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Thursday (Dec. 21) for its final game before the Christmas break at 1 p.m. CT.
The Rebels then return home to wrap up its non-conference slate against Alcorn State on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 3:00 p.m. CT.
