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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, December 21
Oxford, Miss.
12 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Mississippi Valley State
Women’s Basketball Prepares for Mississippi Valley State at SJB Pavilion
12/20/2024 | Women's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss women's basketball team will remain home for its final game before the holidays to host Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, Dec. 21. The Rebels will look to extend their 14-game winning streak against the Devilettes at 12 p.m. CT, airing on SEC Network+.
TEAM FACTS
No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels (7-3, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 7th Season at Ole Miss (110-87) • 12th Season in Career (204-150)
Mississippi Valley State Devilettes (1-9, 0-0 SWAC)
Head Coach: Kimberly Anderson • 3rd Season at MVSU (7-63) • 10th Season in Career (68-168)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Color: Lindsay King
Reporter: Loral Winn
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
OLE MISS VS. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE
Saturday marks the 23rd all-time matchup between Ole Miss and Mississippi Valley State. The Rebels hold a commanding lead in the series with a 20-2 overall record and are on a 14-game win streak. MVSU last claimed victory over Ole Miss in 1981. Ole Miss has never lost to MVSU in Oxford, holding a 14-0 record. The previous four victories have come under coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.
The series dates to 1977, when Ole Miss claimed an 86-67 victory. Carol Ross set a then-school record for most steals in a single game with eight. Since then, the Rebels' have had several impressive games against the Devilettes.
The Rebels pulled together a trio of its most impressive victories against the Devilettes in three consecutive seasons, starting in 2014-15. Ole Miss bested MVSU 91-38, which its 53-point victory being the widest margin in series history. The following year, the Rebels dropped 97 points against the Devilettes, which was the highest scoring output for Ole Miss in the series and tied for the second-highest point total in a game that season. Ole Miss then held MVSU to only 30 points in 2016, which was a then program record for fewest points allowed in a single game in program history.
Ole Miss previously faced MVSU last season, with the Rebels claiming victory, 84-56. Six Rebels reached double figure scoring, including Rita Igbokwe, who earned her first career double-double at 12 points and 10 rebounds.
In total, Ole Miss has scored 90 or more points seven times against MVSU.
SCOUTING THE DEVILETTES
Head coach Kimberly Anderson is in her third year at the helm for Mississippi Valley State. The Devilettes are 7-68 under Anderson since 2022-23 and are off to a 1-9 start to this season.
In its 66-65 victory over Troy, MVSU shot 43.1 percent from the field as Shakira Gresham scored 13 points off the bench. Gresham shot a perfect five-for-five that game and added a team-leading six rebounds.
D'yanna Maxey has started all 10 games for the Devilettes and leads the team with 86 total points. Averaging 8.6 points per game, Maxey scored a season-high 18 points against Southern Miss. She recently recorded 10 rebounds against Houston, the most by a Devilette this season. Maxey is also the team leader in rebounds with 35.
MVSU returns four players from last season, the most experienced of which are upperclassmen Sh'Diamond McKnight and Jaylia Reed. Diamond leads the team in points for players who have appeared in at least seven games to start the season with 11.6 per game. She also leads the team in steals with 3.4 per game.
Reed averages 20 minutes a game and has reached double figure points two of the last three games.
REBELS AGAINST THE SWAC
Ole Miss has historically dominated members of the SWAC, as it possesses a 94-7 record against members of the conference. Ole Miss faced a trio of SWAC opponents last season, UAPB, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State, defeating all three.
The Rebels are 3-0 against SWAC opponents so far in the 2024-25 campaign. Ole Miss outscored UAPB, Jackson State and Alabama by a combined 250-92 and have averaged 83.3 points per contest.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss remains undefeated at home after defeating South Alabama, 94-39, at the SJB Pavilion on Sunday.
Ole Miss' 94 points is the most this season and the highest by a Rebel squad since Nov. 14, 2021, against Mississippi Valley State, where they also tallied 94. Tying for the third-most points in the coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin era, Ole Miss has now put up at least one 90-point performance in six consecutive seasons.
Ole Miss' defensive prowess was on full display against South Alabama. The Jaguars were held to under 40 points for the first time since Dec. 31, 2022, against Southern Miss, and it's their widest margin of defeat since Nov. 11, 2016, when Florida bested the Jaguars, 88-33. Ole Miss recorded 15 steals, marking the ninth time this season in double figures for that category. South Alabama also committed 30 turnovers, the second-most forced by Ole Miss this season.
Ole Miss saw several strong performances against South Alabama, highlighted by yet another monumental performance from Sira Thienou. Thienou scored a career-high 23 points for the Rebels, on an efficient seven-of-eight from the field and a near-perfect seven-for-eight from the free throw line. Thienou also tacked on a pair of three pointers and seven rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
True freshman guard Sira Thienou has wasted little time making her mark as an Ole Miss Rebel as the Bamako, Mali, native has been tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week twice this season, on Nov. 26 and Dec. 17. These recognitions mark the first such honors of her young career and the first awards of its type for an Ole Miss player since Madison Scott earned the same accolade six times as a true freshman during the 2020-21 season.
Thienou scored in double figures in three straight outings for the Rebels in November, including consecutive 16-point outbursts against Jackson State (Nov. 18) and Boston College (Nov. 25). The last true freshman to record double-digit scoring efforts in three straight games was Scott herself who did it twice during her first season in Oxford.
Additionally, the last time an Ole Miss freshman had a 16-plus point performance was when Scott earned 17 against No. 18 Arkansas, on Feb. 19, 2021.
In December, Thienou registered a career-high 23 points against South Alabama, marking the first 20+ performance by a Rebel this season and the most points scored by a SEC freshman tha week. Thienou is the first Ole Miss freshman since the 2020-21 season to put up at least 20 points in a single game.
TURNOVERS ON TURNOVERS
Ole Miss' defense remains its strung suit, forcing all of its ten opponents this year to make 18+ turnovers. Additionally, all but one of those teams lost the ball at least 20 times in their matchup with the Rebels.
Ole Miss turned defense into offense all night versus Alabama State, scoring a season-high 42 points off of the Lady Hornet's 33 turnovers.
ROBBIN' THE BANK
The Rebels like to keep their opponents on their toes, as Ole Miss is nationally known for forcing lost balls. Earning at least 10 steals in nine of its ten games this season, the Rebels rank No. 3 in the SEC for steals per game.
Twice this year, Ole Miss secured season-highs of 20 steals against Jackson State and Alabama State, with 12 Rebels contributing to the cause in the latter contest. Prior to this season, the last time an Ole Miss team tallied 20+ steals was Dec. 28, 2016, where the Rebels grabbed 24 against Mississippi Valley State.
WE AIN'T SCARED
Yolett McPhee-McCuin values the importance of playing top-tier opponents in non-conference play and it shows in the NCAA's NET Rankings and Strength of Schedule.
Consistently sitting in the Top 20 in the NET Rankings, the Rebels came in at No. 17 in the latest update.
Based off this evaluation tool, it also shows that Ole Miss currently holds the sixth-toughest schedule in the nation among power four teams, finding themselves amongst major power houses in women's basketball.
Toughest Schedules Among P4 Teams
1. South Carolina
2. Notre Dame
3. Duke
4. Louisville
5. NC State
6. Ole Miss
7. Purdue
8. Oregon
9. Texas
10. Indiana
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE REBELS
New season and single-game tickets for the 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball season are on sale now. To purchase or learn more about buying season or single-game tickets for women's basketball, click here or contact the Ole Miss Athletics ticket office.
Follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on X at @YolettMcCuin.
TEAM FACTS
No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels (7-3, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 7th Season at Ole Miss (110-87) • 12th Season in Career (204-150)
Mississippi Valley State Devilettes (1-9, 0-0 SWAC)
Head Coach: Kimberly Anderson • 3rd Season at MVSU (7-63) • 10th Season in Career (68-168)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Color: Lindsay King
Reporter: Loral Winn
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
OLE MISS VS. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE
Saturday marks the 23rd all-time matchup between Ole Miss and Mississippi Valley State. The Rebels hold a commanding lead in the series with a 20-2 overall record and are on a 14-game win streak. MVSU last claimed victory over Ole Miss in 1981. Ole Miss has never lost to MVSU in Oxford, holding a 14-0 record. The previous four victories have come under coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.
The series dates to 1977, when Ole Miss claimed an 86-67 victory. Carol Ross set a then-school record for most steals in a single game with eight. Since then, the Rebels' have had several impressive games against the Devilettes.
The Rebels pulled together a trio of its most impressive victories against the Devilettes in three consecutive seasons, starting in 2014-15. Ole Miss bested MVSU 91-38, which its 53-point victory being the widest margin in series history. The following year, the Rebels dropped 97 points against the Devilettes, which was the highest scoring output for Ole Miss in the series and tied for the second-highest point total in a game that season. Ole Miss then held MVSU to only 30 points in 2016, which was a then program record for fewest points allowed in a single game in program history.
Ole Miss previously faced MVSU last season, with the Rebels claiming victory, 84-56. Six Rebels reached double figure scoring, including Rita Igbokwe, who earned her first career double-double at 12 points and 10 rebounds.
In total, Ole Miss has scored 90 or more points seven times against MVSU.
SCOUTING THE DEVILETTES
Head coach Kimberly Anderson is in her third year at the helm for Mississippi Valley State. The Devilettes are 7-68 under Anderson since 2022-23 and are off to a 1-9 start to this season.
In its 66-65 victory over Troy, MVSU shot 43.1 percent from the field as Shakira Gresham scored 13 points off the bench. Gresham shot a perfect five-for-five that game and added a team-leading six rebounds.
D'yanna Maxey has started all 10 games for the Devilettes and leads the team with 86 total points. Averaging 8.6 points per game, Maxey scored a season-high 18 points against Southern Miss. She recently recorded 10 rebounds against Houston, the most by a Devilette this season. Maxey is also the team leader in rebounds with 35.
MVSU returns four players from last season, the most experienced of which are upperclassmen Sh'Diamond McKnight and Jaylia Reed. Diamond leads the team in points for players who have appeared in at least seven games to start the season with 11.6 per game. She also leads the team in steals with 3.4 per game.
Reed averages 20 minutes a game and has reached double figure points two of the last three games.
REBELS AGAINST THE SWAC
Ole Miss has historically dominated members of the SWAC, as it possesses a 94-7 record against members of the conference. Ole Miss faced a trio of SWAC opponents last season, UAPB, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State, defeating all three.
The Rebels are 3-0 against SWAC opponents so far in the 2024-25 campaign. Ole Miss outscored UAPB, Jackson State and Alabama by a combined 250-92 and have averaged 83.3 points per contest.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss remains undefeated at home after defeating South Alabama, 94-39, at the SJB Pavilion on Sunday.
Ole Miss' 94 points is the most this season and the highest by a Rebel squad since Nov. 14, 2021, against Mississippi Valley State, where they also tallied 94. Tying for the third-most points in the coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin era, Ole Miss has now put up at least one 90-point performance in six consecutive seasons.
Ole Miss' defensive prowess was on full display against South Alabama. The Jaguars were held to under 40 points for the first time since Dec. 31, 2022, against Southern Miss, and it's their widest margin of defeat since Nov. 11, 2016, when Florida bested the Jaguars, 88-33. Ole Miss recorded 15 steals, marking the ninth time this season in double figures for that category. South Alabama also committed 30 turnovers, the second-most forced by Ole Miss this season.
Ole Miss saw several strong performances against South Alabama, highlighted by yet another monumental performance from Sira Thienou. Thienou scored a career-high 23 points for the Rebels, on an efficient seven-of-eight from the field and a near-perfect seven-for-eight from the free throw line. Thienou also tacked on a pair of three pointers and seven rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
True freshman guard Sira Thienou has wasted little time making her mark as an Ole Miss Rebel as the Bamako, Mali, native has been tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week twice this season, on Nov. 26 and Dec. 17. These recognitions mark the first such honors of her young career and the first awards of its type for an Ole Miss player since Madison Scott earned the same accolade six times as a true freshman during the 2020-21 season.
Thienou scored in double figures in three straight outings for the Rebels in November, including consecutive 16-point outbursts against Jackson State (Nov. 18) and Boston College (Nov. 25). The last true freshman to record double-digit scoring efforts in three straight games was Scott herself who did it twice during her first season in Oxford.
Additionally, the last time an Ole Miss freshman had a 16-plus point performance was when Scott earned 17 against No. 18 Arkansas, on Feb. 19, 2021.
In December, Thienou registered a career-high 23 points against South Alabama, marking the first 20+ performance by a Rebel this season and the most points scored by a SEC freshman tha week. Thienou is the first Ole Miss freshman since the 2020-21 season to put up at least 20 points in a single game.
TURNOVERS ON TURNOVERS
Ole Miss' defense remains its strung suit, forcing all of its ten opponents this year to make 18+ turnovers. Additionally, all but one of those teams lost the ball at least 20 times in their matchup with the Rebels.
Ole Miss turned defense into offense all night versus Alabama State, scoring a season-high 42 points off of the Lady Hornet's 33 turnovers.
ROBBIN' THE BANK
The Rebels like to keep their opponents on their toes, as Ole Miss is nationally known for forcing lost balls. Earning at least 10 steals in nine of its ten games this season, the Rebels rank No. 3 in the SEC for steals per game.
Twice this year, Ole Miss secured season-highs of 20 steals against Jackson State and Alabama State, with 12 Rebels contributing to the cause in the latter contest. Prior to this season, the last time an Ole Miss team tallied 20+ steals was Dec. 28, 2016, where the Rebels grabbed 24 against Mississippi Valley State.
WE AIN'T SCARED
Yolett McPhee-McCuin values the importance of playing top-tier opponents in non-conference play and it shows in the NCAA's NET Rankings and Strength of Schedule.
Consistently sitting in the Top 20 in the NET Rankings, the Rebels came in at No. 17 in the latest update.
Based off this evaluation tool, it also shows that Ole Miss currently holds the sixth-toughest schedule in the nation among power four teams, finding themselves amongst major power houses in women's basketball.
Toughest Schedules Among P4 Teams
1. South Carolina
2. Notre Dame
3. Duke
4. Louisville
5. NC State
6. Ole Miss
7. Purdue
8. Oregon
9. Texas
10. Indiana
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE REBELS
New season and single-game tickets for the 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball season are on sale now. To purchase or learn more about buying season or single-game tickets for women's basketball, click here or contact the Ole Miss Athletics ticket office.
Follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on X at @YolettMcCuin.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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