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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
10-3,1-0SEC
Auburn
9-5,0-1SEC
Women’s Basketball Claims First Conference Win in Commanding Fashion at Auburn
1/2/2025 | Women's Basketball
AUBURN, Ala. – No. 25/25 Ole Miss women’s basketball opened conference play with a bang, dropping Auburn 85-58 at Neville Arena on Thursday evening.
Ole Miss (10-3, 1-0 SEC) has started its conference schedule with a win for the fourth season in a row. The Rebels handed the Tigers (9-5, 0-1 SEC) its worst defeat of the young season. The 27-point gap is the widest margin of defeat for Auburn this year, and its 58 points being the second-fewest for the team in 2024-25. Additionally, Ole Miss didn’t allow a single Auburn three-pointer in the game.
Meanwhile, the Rebels reached the 80-point plateau for the eighth time this season, officially the first time a team under head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has earned that many games over 80. It’s the most by a Rebel squad since the 2009-10 season, when the team had 10 games over 80.
KK Deans and Kennedy Todd-Williams paced the team in points, scoring 20 and 19, respectively. Both totals are respective season-highs, as Deans became the second Rebel this season to reach the 20-point mark. Deans tied a season-high with four three-pointers, which is also tied for the most by any Rebel in a game this season.
Todd-Williams shot a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe against the Tigers, becoming the first Rebel since she did so last season to make 10-or-more free throws in a game. After a free throw in the fourth quarter, Todd-Williams reached the 500-point mark for her Ole Miss career. At the conclusion of the game, the fifth-year senior sits at 503 points in the Blue and Red.
Sira Thienou and Todd-Williams showed off their defensive prowess against the Tigers, stealing the ball seven and five times, respectively. Thienou’s mark is a career high, while Todd-Williams total is a personal Ole Miss best. They became the first Rebels to have five steals in a game since Angel Baker did so on Jan. 8, 2023, while Thienou’s seven marks the most by any Rebel since Lashonda Monk had the same amount against Alabama on Jan. 13, 2022.
:rotating_light: Career High Alert :rotating_light:@ThienouSira tallies 5 steals which makes her the first Rebel since Angel Baker to have 5 steals in a game! pic.twitter.com/m2WuNF7joC
— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) January 3, 2025
Thienou’s success continued on the offensive side of the court with 12 points. Thienou has now scored in double-digits in five consecutive games, becoming the first Rebel freshman since Valencia McFarland in 2010-11 with a streak that long.
Starr Jacobs had nine rebounds and four assists to lead the team in both categories, while contributing nine points. She came one rebound and one-point shy of her 28th career double-double. Tameiya Sadler had her second game in a row above 10 points while making two three-pointers.
Ole Miss went on a 12-0 run midway through the first quarter, making all six of its field goals in that span. The Rebels held the Tigers scoreless for over three and a half minutes as they built a double-figure lead. Todd-Williams and Deans foreshadowed their strong performances, scoring six points each. Todd-Williams was perfect from the charity stripe in her four trips during the first quarter. The Rebels’ 26 points in the first quarter is the most allowed by the Tigers in any period this season.
Ole Miss continued its domination in the second quarter to go into the second half up 45-20. Todd-Williams secured her fourth steal of the day in the second quarter, securing a season-high. Thienou paced the team in the second quarter with six points on three made field goals, while Deans reached double-figure points for the sixth time this season. Jacobs led the Rebels in rebounds and assists in the first half, her assist mark tying her season high.
??????????ing the show :star-struck:@Ktoddwilli with 4 steals in the first half! pic.twitter.com/MPOFA1OHrN
— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) January 3, 2025
The Rebels’ 45 first half points is the most points allowed by Auburn this season, while holding the Tigers to 20 being a share of the fewest points allowed in 2024-25. Eighteen of Ole Miss’ points in the first half came from turnovers, of which Auburn committed 13. Also, Ole Miss’ .630 first half field goal percentage marked a season-high for the team.
The Rebels stayed hot offensively in the second half. Ole Miss opened the third quarter with a pair of quick field goals in the first two minutes from Kharyssa Richardson and Madison Scott. After a dish to Todd-Williams, Scott eclipsed the 300-assist mark for her career. She joined Deans as the only two active Rebels north of 300 career assists. Sadler had seven points in the frame to lead the Rebels, making her second three-pointer of the day. Thienou’s three steals in the period put her to six for the game, effectively setting her career best.
With victory in sight, the Rebels rode a scoring barrage from Todd-Williams and Deans to close out the game. They had their strongest period of the evening, scoring nine and seven, respectively. The duo scored 10 uninterrupted points in the middle of the period to keep the Rebel advantage above 20. Thienou added her final steal of the game for her seventh of the day, while the Rebels had a total of seven in the period. Deans made a free throw of her own in the final minute of action to fashion the final score, 85-58.
Ole Miss will stay on the road and travel west to College Station for a bout with Texas A&M on Jan. 5. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
Single-game tickets for the 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball season are on sale now. To purchase or learn more about buying 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.
Gallery: No. 25 WBB at Auburn
