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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Basketball to Face No. 5 Louisville in Friday Sweet 16 Matchup
3/23/2023 | Women's Basketball
Ole Miss Appearing in its First Sweet 16 Since 2007
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2023 NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SWEET 16 No. 8 OLE MISS (26-8, 11-5 SEC) No. 5 LOUISVILLE (25-11, 12-6 ACC) Friday, March 24 • 9:00 p.m. CT • Seattle, Wash. Climate Pledge Arena (17,00)   |
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Watch • Live Stats • Listen
Ole Miss Game Notes • Louisville Game Notes • 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket |
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TEAM FACTS
No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels (25-8, 11-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 5th Season at Ole Miss (79-74) • 10th Season in Career (173-137)
No. 5 Louisville (25-11, 12-6 ACC)
Head Coach: Jeff Walz • 18th Season at Louisville (439-124) • 18th Season in Career (439-124)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN
Play by Play: Pam Ward
Analyst: Stephanie White
Reporter: Holly Rowe
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
With its 19th overall NCAA Tournament appearance, Ole Miss reaches the big dance in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2004 & 2005.
The Rebels have made it through the first weekend in over half of their appearances, now reaching 11 Sweet Sixteens and then have moved on to five Elite Eights.
After roaring past ninth seeded Gonzaga in the first round, 71-48, Ole Miss met a one seed for the seventh time in the tournament and led Stanford from start to finish to emerge victorious, 54-49, for its first Sweet 16 berth since 2007. The Rebels now sit at 20-18 in NCAA Tournament games.
It was the first time a No. 1 seed had failed to reach the Sweet 16 as well as the Cardinal's first loss before the round of 16 since 2007.
The No. 8 Rebels become the fifth eighth seed to reach the reach the regional semifinal, with one seed at the rank reaching the regional final, with 1993 Missouri State reaching the Final Four.
Heading into its 11th Sweet 16 appearance, Ole Miss sits at an even 5-5 in the round and has advanced to a total of five Elite 8's in program history.
When Ole Miss last reached the Sweet 16 in 2007, the Rebels defeated Oklahoma, 90-82 to advance to their fifth Elite 8.
Among its SEC counterparts, Ole Miss ranks sixth with a total of 11 Sweet 16's in program history.
SEC SWEET 16'S
Tennessee - 36
Georgia - 20
LSU - 14
Vanderbilt - 14
South Carolina - 13
Ole Miss - 11
Auburn - 10
Texas A&M - 9
Kentucky - 6
Alabama - 6
Florida - 5
Mississippi State - 5
Arkansas - 3
Missouri - 2
SERIES NOTES
VERSUS LOUISVILLE
Friday's matchup against the Cardinals will be the first for either program. Against schools from the ACC, Ole Miss is 13-15 all-time, last facing a school from the conference in 2019.
TEAM NOTES
LAST TIME OUT
From start to finish, Ole Miss jumped on No. 1 Stanford in Maples Pavilion to end the Cardinal's season, in a 54-49 victory on Sunday night.
In another superteam effort, three Rebels tallied double digits while shooting at a 45 percent clip from beyond the arc. Angel Baker led Ole Miss with 13 points. Ole Miss led the entire game, and despite a Stanford surge in the fourth quarter the Rebels were able to fend off the Cardinal.
It was a game sealing steal from Myah Taylor within the last minute to put the Cardinal away with clutch makes from the free throw line to walk out of Stanford with the dub.
25 WINS SECURED
With the win over Stanford on Sunday, Ole Miss notched its 25th win this 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 has 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 this 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.
Sunday's win over Stanford pushed Ole Miss to a perfect 11-0 in Round of 32 games in the tournament.
PORTAL U
For Coach Yo, developing talent is a key part of her mission at the helm of the Rebels and the fifth year coach has turned Ole Miss into a hotspot for those looking for another home.
Four out of five Rebel starters made their way to Ole Miss after hitting the court at a previous school. Eight total Rebels came to Oxford following stints in different uniforms.
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.
NEED SOME GLASS CLEANED?
The Ole Miss defense cleans up off the boards like few others, grabbing 50 rebounds in a single game for the fourth time this season in the first round game against Gonzaga.
The 51 boards against the Zags were the most for Ole Miss in an NCAA Tournament game in program history.
NOT GIVING IT UP
The ball was not going anywhere against Gonzaga, with Ole Miss surrendering a season-low eight turnovers against the Bulldogs by beating their previous of nine.
JOURNEY TO THE TOURNEY
Following an 11-2 non-conference slate with losses against NCAA Tournament teams in Utah and Oklahoma, Ole Miss began SEC play red hot with a 5-0 start on the way to a historic season.
Highlighted by a 19-point comeback victory at Arkansas to conclude the month of January for its seventh SEC win, Ole Miss rattled off four more in February to hit the 11-win mark for just the second time in program history and the first under the SEC's 16-league game format.
TYIA TRIPLETON
Tyia Singleton's got range and the senior proved in the SEC Tournament Semifinals, hitting a career-high three shots from beyond the arc.
Going into the contest against the Gamecocks, Singleton had only hit a three total three's in her career.
HOT HANDS
Against the Aggies in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals, Ole Miss seemed as if they could not miss while shooting at a 50.8% clip. This marked the second highest shooting percentage this season and the best against an SEC team all year.
NOT IN TYIA'S HOUSE
No one was getting in Tyia Singleton's way in Tuscaloosa against Alabama, with the senior swatting a career-high seven rejections. All together, Ole Miss rejected a season-high nine shots.
The seven rejections from Singleton rank third in program history in single-game blocks.
COOL, CALM AND COLLECTED
From the charity stripe, Ole Miss was locked in at Alabama by shooting a perfect 12-of-12. Marquesha Davis led the way with a career-high six makes.
As a team, the perfect percentage from the line is the best for Ole Miss with 10 or more attempts since 2009 against Florida Atlantic where the Rebels also went 12-of-12.
MAKING HISTORY - ONCE AGAIN
Hitting 10 wins in SEC play against Missouri, Ole Miss reached the double-digit win mark in conference play for the second year in a row and the first time in consecutive seasons in program history.
Ole Miss has three double-digit winning seasons in conference play. The 1991-92 Rebels went a perfect 11-0 in conference while last season's squad went 10-6 in league play.
CAUSING DOUBLE-DOUBLE THE TROUBLE
There's no doubt that Madison Scott has elevated her game in her junior campaign, piecing together 11 double-doubles this season for the most in her career to date.
With her 10th double-double of the season against Mizzou, Scott reached the marker of 20 in her career. The 20 double-doubles rank 10th in program history as Scott looks to move up the record books.
DOING IT ALL
Making an impact on all facets of the court, Angel Baker is getting it done on both sides of the ball.
The reigning SEC Sixth-Woman of the year has notched six 5/5/5 games in points, rebounds and assists to stuff the stat sheet. The senior has also snagged 46 steals this season.
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. Last season's 2021-22 team shattered the program record in single-season blocks at 142 and this year's squad rose to the challenge breaking that.
33 games in, Ole Miss has rejected 173 shots this season to set the single-season program record and with the postseason underway, that number is expected to grow.
TAKING IT OVERTIME
For the third time in game this season, Ole Miss took No. 1 South Carolina and for the first time at home since 2021.
Three overtime games is the most in a single-season for Ole Miss since 2013-14. All-time Ole Miss is 23-26 in games headed into overtime. The Rebels are 14-7 when extra time is needed at home.
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 10th in active blocks nationally with a total of 206.
REBEL NATION SHOWING UP AND SHOWING OUT
The energy inside the SJB Pavilion against South Carolina was unmatched, with Rebel nation showing up to set a single-SEC game record attendance of 6,563 fans on Feb. 19.
It smashed the previous record set in 1988 against Tennessee with 5,404 fans in the Tad Smith Coliseum.
THE NAME OF OUR GAME
'We Defend' is the name of our game, as Ole Miss is one of the nation's top defensive teams holding its opponents to an average of 56.3 points per game.
This season, Ole Miss has held all but three opponents below its scoring average.
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.
TRY TO SHOOT YOUR SHOT
As one of the top defenses in the conference, it's no shock that Ole Miss was able to dictate and disrupt two straight opponents.
In back-to-back outings, Ole Miss held Florida and then Kentucky to under 30% shooting from the field. UF shot at a 24.1% clip, while UK was held to 26.3%.
The feat is the first time in the 21st century Ole Miss has held two-consecutive SEC opponents to under 30% from the field.
CAN'T TOUCH THIS (LITERALLY)
The defensive prowess from Ole Miss was untouchable against Florida, holding the Gators to shoot 13-of-54 from the field at a 24.1% clip.
Holding the Gators to that mark is the lowest the Rebels have held any SEC opponent to within the last 20 seasons.
AB2K
Eclipsing the 2,000 career-point milestone against Kentucky, Angel Baker accomplished what few in Ole Miss history have done.
Baker is one of four 2,000 career-point scorers to don a Rebel uniform joining Peggie Gillom-Granderson, Jennifer Gillom and Armintie Price.
Baker also then became one of 23 active players in Division I with over 2,000 career points scored.
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.
Last year, Ole Miss tallied 10 wins at home while this season the Rebels reached a total of 14.
COMEBACK KIDS
Trailing by 19 at with 20 minutes remaining, the Rebels came together to do the unthinkable and clawed their way back against Arkanas to force overtime and defeat the Razorbacks.
The feat tied the 9th largest margin overcome in NCAA history and was the largest in program history. It also set the third largest margin overcome in an SEC game.
GO FOR DEEP -- OR DON'T
It's a proven stat that the Rebs defend the three ball well, ranking 3rd in the nation while holding its opponents to 24.8% from beyond the arc.
The Rebels have limited Stanford, Gonzaga, Auburn and Texas A&M to its season lowest from three and Mississippi State and Alabama to its SEC game lowest.
HOT HANDS EQUAL DUBS
When the Rebels find themselves in a groove, the wins are bound to happen. This season when Ole Miss shoots above 40% in a game, the Rebels are bound to win at 21-1.
SWEPT. THE. SIP.
Following its first win in Starkville since 2007 on Jan. 1, Ole Miss continued to make its presence known as the top dog in the state of Mississippi with its 78-63 win on Jan. 26.
The back-to-back regular season wins against the Bulldogs marked the first regular season sweep over MSU since 2004.
SNUDDA SQUAD
No doubt Snudda Collins was feeling herself at home against Mississippi State, with the junior draining a career-high tying five three's off the bench.
With 55 made triples this season and 196 attempts, Collins is climbing her way up the Ole Miss history charts. Collins is 14 made three's away from ranking in the top-five in a single-season.
SHARING IS CARING
Dropping 20 dimes against Mississippi State, the Rebels showed that sharing the ball proved to be an extreme benefit. The 20 assists were the most in an SEC game by the Rebels this season.
Three Rebels combined for 18 of those 20 dimes, with Angel Baker, Madison Scott and Myah Taylor dishing out six apiece.
The last time Ole Miss had three Rebels with five or more dimes, was last season against Texas A&M from the SJB Pavilion.
ALL BARK. NO BITE.
Not only was the win at Georgia a key piece for the Rebels as they march through conference play, it was the first win in Athens for the program since 2010 and only the second in Ole Miss history.
TAKING IT JUST MEANS MORE SERIOUSLY
With five straight wins to open conference play, Ole Miss kicked off it's SEC season 5-0 for the first time since the 2006-07 season where that team then went on to win 24 games and reach the Elite Eight.
The 2007 Rebels started 5-0 in SEC play, before going 9-5 in the conference.
MUST PACK - DEFENSE
It's no secret that Ole Miss thrives off its defense, yet with the win over Georgia, the Rebels picked up its third straight SEC road victory.
It's the first time Ole Miss started 3-0 on the road within the conference and the first time since 1991-92 the Rebels have won back-to-back-to back road games against SEC foes.
WHAT'S IN THE SECRET SAUCE?
The correlation between Rebel wins and rebounding is evident, as 24 out of 25 of Ole Miss wins have come when outrebounding its opponent.
Through 16 games in SEC play, Ole Miss outrebounded its opponents by an average of +7.1 boards per game.
WE DEFEND LIKE NO OTHER
By locking down the Aggies and holding Texas A&M to only 38 points in Bryan-College Station, Ole Miss once again proved why "We Defend" is at the heart of its program.
The 38 points are the fewest points allowed against an SEC team in program history and the only time in program history holding a conference opponent under 40 points.
OFF THE LINE
Three-point defense has been a point of emphasis during the Coach Yo era, with 99 of 142 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)
28-33 (84.8%)
THE BEST KIND OF THIEVERY
No wonder Ole Miss was able to keep Texas A&M at bay on the road, the Rebels racked up a season-high 14 steals as a team. Ole Miss has recorded double-digit steals in eight games this season.
COME AT THE VET
As one of the most experienced players currently in Division I basketball, Angel Baker sure plays like it as she leads the Rebels averaging 14.9 points per game.
Appearing in 154 games throughout her collegiate career, Baker ranks 11th among active players in career games played.
DYNAMIC DUO
All 17 points scored in the first quarter against Vanderbilt came from the combined duo of Angel Baker and Madison Scott as the pair went on to combine for a total of 39 points.
39 points between Baker and Scott are the most in a single-game by the two in their two seasons together in Oxford.
BALLIN' OFF THE BOARDS
There's no doubt that the motto "We Defend" rings true throughout the Ole Miss program, as this squad has been cleaning up off the boards all season.
Ole Miss has outrebounded 11 opponents by a 15+ margin this year, the most in a single year within the last 20 seasons.
WON BIG IN VEGAS
Ole Miss rung in the New Year in a big way with its first win over Mississippi State in Starkville in 15 seasons.
Around the rim, Rita Igbokwe and the Rebels went to work with a season-high nine blocks as a team with Igbokwe swatting a season-high four shots.
The Rebel defense held the Bulldogs to its lowest point total in the matchup since 2008, holding MSU to 50 points.
500 AND COUNTING
With two assists against Mississippi State in Starkville, Myah Taylor eclipsed the 500 career assist mark and continues to add to her total of 558. Taylor currently leads the SEC in active career assists.
THE YO EFFECT
Five years 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
SEC STATEMENT
In Ole Miss' first SEC game of the 2022-23 season, the Rebels held nothing back as they lead for the entirety of the game against the Auburn Tigers. With the 79-47 win, Ole Miss earned its largest margin victory in SEC play since February 11, 2007 when the Rebels defeated Alabama 84-43.
The Rebels held Auburn to a 25.0 field goal percentage. That is the lowest the Ole Miss defense has held a team in SEC play since January 6th, 1990 where the Rebels held Alabama to a 19.3 field goal percentage.
MY OH MY MADI
Madison Scott earned double-doubles in three straight games to finish the non-conference season, putting up big numbers against Jacksonville (19 points, 17 rebounds), McNeese (18 points, 10 rebounds), and Temple (16 points, 10 rebounds).
The last time a Rebel had three straight double-doubles for Ole Miss was Shakira Austin versus Lamar, LA Tech, and Jackson State in 2021.
The junior grabbed double-digits 24 times this season and obtained 11 double-doubles overall for this year.
Overall, Scott has led Ole Miss in rebounds (18x), points (6x), and assists (6x) so far this year. Out of the Rebels' 33 games, Scott has had 5+ rebounds in 26 of them.
#WEDEFEND
Ole Miss is catching national attention in its defensive efforts. The Rebel defense currently ranks 20th in the nation in scoring defense, holding teams to only 56.3 points. The Rebels also rank 9h in defensive field goal percentage, holding opponents to an average of 35.2 percent.
Ole Miss is 22-0 when holding its opponent to 60 points and under.
TAYLOR DROPPING DIMES AND TAKING NAMES
Grad transfer Myah Taylor is in high rankings among the Southeastern Conference as the No. 1 active career leader in assists (558). Taylor leads the category with a margin of +106 assists.
The Mississippi-native is also first in the SEC active career leaders for steals with 247 in her career.
TURNOVER TURN UP
Ole Miss has forced a cumulative number of 545 turnovers against its opponents this season. Out of those 545, the Rebels have secured 518 points off turnovers so far this season, averaging 15.7 points off turnovers a game.
TURN UP THE DEFENSE
Against Alabama A&M, Ole Miss used a powerful defensive effort to break the program record for single-game points allowed in a decisive 74-28 victory.
The previous record was 30 points allowed against Mississippi Valley State in 2016.
The Rebels held the Bulldogs to zero players in double-digit scoring, the first time since that same MVSU game back in 2016.
After holding the Southern Miss Eagles to seven points in the first half, the Rebels broke the record for the fewest points allowed in a single half in Ole Miss women's basketball history in a dominant 92-46 win.
At the half, Ole Miss held a 48-7 lead against the Eagles. The 41-point margin ranks tied as the fourth-highest scoring margin in a half.
DANGEROUS DUO
When both Angel Baker and Madison Scott get going, the two are an unstoppable duo together.
Dating back to last season, when both score in double-figures the Rebels are 16-3 in those games.
Baker currently has 98 career outings in double-digits while Scott has 52.
