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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Alcorn State
Women's Basketball Returns Home to Close out Non-Conference against Alcorn State
12/29/2023 | Women's Basketball
TEAM FACTS
RV Ole Miss Rebels (9-3, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 6th Season at Ole Miss (88-78) • 11th Season in Career (182-141)
Alcorn State Lady Braves (2-8, 0-0 SWAC)
Head Coach: Nate Kilbert • 4th Season at Alcorn State (24-60) • 20th Season in Career (203-406)
SERIES NOTES
OLE MISS VS. ALCORN STATE
Ole Miss holds an unblemished record of 12-0 against Alcorn State, in a series dating back to 1980. The two programs last faced off in 2020 in Oxford, where the Rebels rolled to a 104-48 victory over the Lady Braces
REBELS VS. THE SWAC
Last week at UAPB, Ole Miss earned their 90th win against a SWAC school to reach a record of 90-7 against the conference.
This is Ole Miss' third game this season against schools from the conference, defeating MVSU and UAPB.
TEAM NOTES
LAST TIME OUT
Facing its second consecutive road game with a visit to UAPB, Ole Miss faced a test against the Golden Lions at Pine Bluff. Tied throught the first half, the Rebels rode a third quarter surge en route to a 62-47 victory.
For the fifth time this season, Marquesha Davis carried the Rebels in scoring with a team-high 13 points.
Tyia Singleton, Madison Scott and Kennedy Todd-Williams joined Davis in double-figure scoring, while Rita Igbokwe sat on the verge of a triple-double with nine points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks.
COME AT HER
At 6-4, Rita Igbokwe has remained one of the nation's best defenders throughout her five years of collegiate play. After setting block records at Pitt, Igbokwe remains just as record breaking as a Rebel.
At UAPB, Igbokwe snagged a season-high 13 rebounds while also swatting a career-high eight rejections against the Golden Lions.
The eight blocks are the most by any SEC player this season, third most in a single-game this season in Division I women's basketball, and rank second all-time in a game at Ole Miss.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
With a victory over the Lady Braves, Ole Miss would move to double-digit wins in non-conference play for the third season in a row. It would also give the Rebels 10 wins against non-conference opponents for the fifth time in the last 10 seasons.
Ole Miss in non-conference play-
2022-23: 11-2
2021-22: 12-1
2016-17: 10-2
2014-15: 10-3
SHUTTING DOWN SHOOTERS
By dictating and disrupting, Ole Miss has held all nine of its opponents in wins to under 30% shooting from the field.
The Rebels remain one of the strongest defensive teams in the nation, holding its opponents to a clip of 34.7% to rank 23rd nationally.
1-KTW
Draining a crisp three at South Alabama, Kennedy Todd-Williams became the latest to eclipse the 1,000 career-point club at Ole Miss. Todd-Williams is the 35th 1,000 point scorer at Ole Miss.
Todd-Williams joins teammate Madison Scott , who recently surpassed the mark earlier this season. The two are one of 267 active 1,000 career point scorers in Division I basketball.
DEFENSE TRAVELS
Once again, Ole Miss made sure to pack its defense for its trip to Mobile and held the Jaguars to a season-low 41 points.
This season Ole Miss has held 10 out of its 12 opponents to under its scoring average when they have faced off against the Rebels.
BOXING OUT
So far this season, Ole Miss has outrebounded two oppponents with a margin of 20 or more. In the McPhee-McCuin era, the Rebels have held a margin of 20+ against 12 opponents.
The six years prior to McPhee-McCuin arriving in Oxford, the Rebels only had a 20+ margin three times.
CALM AND CONSISTENT QUE
A quiet threat from the Rebels comes in the form of Marquesha Davis, with the senior scoring in double-figures the last five consecutive game.
Through 12 games this season, Davis has scored in double-digits in 10 games. The McGehee, Arkansas, native currently leads the Rebels in scoring at 12.0 points per game.
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.
The Rebels have had four games in the McPhee-McCuin era with double-figure blocks.
Nationally, Ole Miss ranks seventh overall with an average of 6.2 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.
Three Rebels currently average double-figures with Snudda Collins and Marquesha Davis each and Madison Scott each averaging 10.0 points per contest or more.
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 11 games this season, Ole Miss has kept five 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
• 155 career made three's - needs 10 more to crack top-five in Ole Miss history.
MADISON SCOTT
• 1027 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
• 1016 career-points - 35th 1,000 career-point scorer at Ole Miss.
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 10.9 points and 4.68rebounds per game in her Ole Miss career.
Against Arizona, Davis put on a season-best performance with 17 points. In 12 games this year, Davis is averaging 12.0 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.
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 occurence 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.
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 132 games in her collegiate career, making 77 starts. She sits tied for 25th nationally in active games played.
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.
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 108 of 154 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)
9-12 (75.0%)
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.
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 heads into the gauntlet of SEC play, starting on the road at Alabama on Thursday (Jan. 4). Tip against the Crimson Tide from Coleman Coliseum is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, streaming on SEC Network +.
