The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Basketball to Challenge LSU in SEC Tournament Semifinals
3/9/2024 | Women's Basketball
TEAM FACTS
No. 3 Ole Miss Rebels (23-7, 12-4 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 6th Season at Ole Miss (102-82) • 11th Season in Career (196-145)
No. 2 LSU Tigers (27-4, 14-2 SEC)
Head Coach: Kim Mulkey • 3rd Season at LSU (87-12) • 24th Season in Career (719-117)
ON THE AIR
TV: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Courtney Lyle
Analyst: Carolyn Peck
Sideline: Brooke Weisbrod
SERIES NOTES
REBELS IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT
Since the inception of the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament in 1980, Ole Miss owns a record of 29-42. Ole Miss has reached 11 semifinal and two final games in the history of the tournament.
For the fourth straight season, Ole Miss makes an appearance in the quarterfinals and is in search of its third consecutive trip to the semifinals. The Rebels last reached the finals of the SEC Tournament in 1983 in Knoxville.
In tournament games in Greenville, the Rebels are 3-6 earning wins in the quarterfinals in 2023 and 2021.
OLE MISS VS. LSU
For the seventh time between Ole Miss and LSU, the two programs meet at the SEC Tournament and face one another in the semifinals for the first time. The two teams last met at the SEC Tournament in 2017 in the Second Round in Greenville.
On a neutral court, LSU leads Ole Miss 6-0.
In the all-time series dating back to 1978, the Tigers lead the Rebels 42-22 and have won the last 11 against Ole Miss.
Ole Miss last picked up a win against LSU in 2015, in a 70-41 victory in Oxford.
TEAM NOTES
THIRTY-QUE
Dropping a career-high 33 points against Florida in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals, Marquesha Davis became No. 2 at Ole Miss in an SEC Tournament game in scoring.
Davis is the first Rebel since Deja Cage in 2019 to score 30 points in a game for Ole Miss.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
When it comes to facing off against ranked opponents, Ole Miss owns 90 wins against ranked teams. The Rebels picked up three of those victories last season, including two in the NCAA Tournament. Under McPhee-McCuin, the Rebels have knocked off 10 ranked opponents.\
This season, Ole Miss is 0-2 against ranked opponents, falling against No. 22 Louisville in the ACC/SEC Challenge and versus No. 7 LSU at home.
Ole Miss has toppled 30 teams ranked the top-10, with 13 of those victories occurring while the Rebels are unranked.
The Rebels boast four victories against a top-10 Tiger program, including one while unranked in 2007.
HISTORY RE-WRITTEN
A win on Sunday over Arkansas hit yet another historic marker for the Rebels, reaching a program best 12 wins in SEC play.
The Rebels passed the previous record of 11 set in 1991-92 and 2022-23.
GOING SEC STREAKING
Wrapping up the regular season on a six game winning streak, the Rebels tied the third-best mark in consecutive conference victories.
The 1991-92 Rebels own the longest streak, winning 11 games in-a-row to finish 11-0 in SEC play.
FINISHING TOWARD THE TOP
By locking up a third-place finish in the SEC, its now the Rebels best finish in conference action since Ole Miss finished 1st in 1991-92.
12 wins for Ole Miss in conference play also set a new program best.
The past three seasons, Ole Miss has finished higher than its projection in the both the SEC Preseason Media and Coaches polls.
THE ROAD TO 100
Reaching 100 wins at the helm of the Rebels, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin hit another milestone this season in the victory over Kentucky.
McPhee-McCuin became the second coach in Ole Miss women's basketball history to reach the milestone, joining the legendary Van Chancellor who tallied 439 wins during his historic tenure in Oxford.
HARD WORK PAYING OFF
For the first time in both of their careers, Marquesha Davis and Madison Scott earned First Team All-SEC accolades to become the 16th and 17th Rebels to earn a spot on the first team and became the lone duo to do so since 1989.
Not only did Scott earn the First Team nod, she was also named to the All-Defensive team for the second season in a row.
DEFENSE GETS DUBS
Locking down Arkansas, Kentucky and Missouri and holding each to under 50 points, Ole Miss held even more opponents to under 50 points for the fourth time this season.
Ole Miss has now held 32 SEC opponents to under 50 points in a game throughout program history, with 10 of those games coming under head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.
NO THREE'S HERE
The motto of 'dictate and disrupt' from the Rebels causes havoc on other opponents offenses, and Ole Miss once again proved its power over Missouri, holding the Tigers scoreless from beyond the arc.
Since the 2011-12 season, Ole Miss is the only team to hold Missouri scoreless from three. Not only did the Rebels accomplish the feat this season, but did the exact same thing against the Tigers in 2022, holding Missouri 0-for-7 from deep.
KEEP SHINING QUE
Hard work from Marquesha Davis has been recognized throughout the state of Mississippi, with Davis being named as one of three finalists for the Gillom Trophy.
In honor of Rebel great, Peggie Gillom, the trophy is awarded each year to the top collegiate women's basketball player in the state of Mississippi. Ole Miss has won the last three, with Shakira Austin claiming back-to-back trophies in 2021-22 and Angel Baker in 2023.
MILESTONE WATCH
SNUDDA COLLINS
• 175 career made three's - No. 5 all-time in Ole Miss history.
• 574 attempted three's - fourth all-time at Ole Miss.
• 938 - 62 points away from reaching 1,000 career.
MARQUESHA DAVIS
• 993 career points - seven points away from hitting 1,000 in her career.
RITA IGBOKWE
• 258 career blocks.
• 100 blocks at Ole Miss - 15 from top-five in program history
• 52 blocks this season - eight from top-four in a single-season at Ole Miss.
MADISON SCOTT
• 1280 career-points became the 29th player to score 1,000 points at Ole Miss, ranks No. 19 in 1,000 points or more scored at Ole Miss.
• 75 career games in double-digit scoring - No. 8 at Ole Miss.
• 28 career double-doubles - currently sits at No. 7 at Ole Miss
• 328 career free-throws made - six away from top-five at Ole Miss.
• 98 assists this season - two away from first 100 assist season in career.
• 103 career blocks - 11 away from top-five at Ole Miss.
KENNEDY TODD-WILLIAMS
• 1230 career-points - 35th 1,000 career-point scorer at Ole Miss.
• 71 assists this season - one away from a personal career single-season best.
OFF THE LINE
Three-point defense has been a point of emphasis during the Coach Yo era, with 123 of 179 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)
20-30 (66.7%)
