The University of Mississippi Athletics
Thursday, December 4
Oxford, Miss.
8 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Notre Dame
Women’s Basketball Hosts Notre Dame for ACC/SEC Challenge
12/3/2025 | Women's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – Finishing off November undefeated, Ole Miss women's basketball is set to compete in the annual ACC/SEC Challenge, as the Rebels will take on their first top 25 opponent this season in Notre Dame at the SJB Pavilion on Thursday, December 4. Tipoff at the SJB Pavilion will be at 8 p.m. CT, airing on ESPN2.
TEAM FACTS
No. 13/13 Ole Miss Rebels (7-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 8th Season at Ole Miss (132-95) • 13th Season in Career (226-158)
No. 18/19 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1, 0-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Niele Ivey • 6th Season at Notre Dame (122-39) • 6th Season in Career (122-39)
ON THE AIR
Television: ESPN 2
Play-by-Play: Tiffany Greene
Color: Carolyn Peck
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss and Notre Dame are facing off for just the second time in the series history, but the second time in two years. The Rebels and Fighting Irish last faced off in the second round of the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament, with Notre Dame claiming a 71-56 win as the host team.
In that game, Madison Scott and Kennedy Todd-Williams combined for 30 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Fighting Irish shot 50 percent from the field, including 44.4 percent from beyond the arc.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH
Head coach Niele Ivey is in her sixth season at the helm of her alma mater and has revitalized the program into a perennial powerhouse. With a career record of 122-39, Ivey has guided the Fighting Irish to four consecutive trips to the Sweet 16 and an ACC Tournament title. Ivey and the Fighting Irish have continued that upward trajectory to start 2025-26, opening the season with a 5-1 record. Notre Dame's only loss this season has come from now No. 6 Michigan.
Last season, Notre Dame went 28-6 and earned a share of the ACC regular season title for the second time in three years. The Fighting Irish downed three AP Top 5 teams in the same season for the first time in program history. One of Ivey's crown jewels is junior guard Hannah Hidalgo out of Merchantville, New Jersey. Hidalgo has been one of the best players in the country and is an established offensive threat from all areas of the court. Hidalgo has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of her seasons with the Fighting Irish and enters Thursday's matchup against the Rebels averaging 27.0 points in six games. Hidalgo is also a defensive menace, averaging over six steals a game to start this season.
The Fighting Irish boast one of the most experienced teams in all of NCAA women's basketball this season. Ten members of the team are upperclassmen, five of which are graduates. Two seniors who have entered the conversation as strong second and third options behind Hidalgo are KK Bransford and Cassandre Prosper. Both guards are averaging north of 10 points per game, while Bransford leads the team in rebounds at 6.8 per contest.
Rounding out the starting five for the Notre Dame is Vanessa De Jesus and Gisela Sanchez. De Jesus has established herself alongside Hidalgo as one of the best 3-point shooters on the team while Sanchez' 6-foot-4 stature is the tallest on the team. The aforementioned five athletes have been Notre Dame's staple to start each game this season.
GAMES AGAINST THE ACC
The Rebels are 16-21 against all members in the ACC during their 51-year history. Ole Miss has most frequently played Miami, playing the Hurricane seven times. Ole Miss has beaten Miami and Florida State the most among ACC opponents, claiming three wins each.
Ole Miss faced two members of the ACC last season, besting Boston College but falling to NC State. Ole Miss dominated Boston College in the first round of the Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship, 92-55, as five Rebels reached double-digit scoring. It was Ole Miss' first victory against an ACC opponent since beating Georgia Texh, 63-48, on March 22, 2015.
In last season's edition of the SEC/ACC Challenge, the Rebels narrowly fell to the Wolfpack, 68-62. The Rebels are looking for their first victory in the challenge on their third attempt. In the inaugural SEC/ACC Challenge game, Ole Miss fell to No. 22 Louisville, 64-58.
THE EXPECTATION, NOT THE EXCEPTION
Entering year eight of the Yolett McPhee-McCuin era in Oxford, the standard has been set. Two Sweet 16s in three years, four NCAA Tournaments in a row, four straight 10-win SEC seasons, multiple All-SEC selections and three WNBA Draft picks, the Rebels have re-asserted themselves as a top program in women's college basketball.
RANKED REBELS
Garnering national recognition in the polls, the Rebels recently came in at No. 13 in the AP, marking the highest ranking following four weeks of play since Dec. 17, 1990 when the Rebels were at No. 11. Additionally, the Rebels came in at No. 13 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, marking the best week four ranking since Dec 19, 1990 where Ole Miss was picked at No. 11.
HOME SWEET HOME
Rebel nation has turned the SJB Pavilion into an intimidating environment for visiting teams, especially in the nonconference slate. Ole Miss has won 34 of its last 37 games at home against nonconference opponents, dating back to the 2020 season. During the 2024-25 season, the Rebels won all seven nonconference games at the SJB Pavilion, the third time Ole Miss has entered conference competition undefeated at home under Coach Yo. The Rebels aim to build on that success with the six more nonconference matchups on their home court this year.
"YO"VEMBER
Starting off the year a perfect 5-0, Ole Miss went undefeated through the full month of November for the first time since the 2008-09 season, averaging an impressive scoring margin of +30.6. Additionally, the Rebels are undefeated through seven games for the first time since 2008-09, the first time in head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin's tenure at the helm. It's only the third time since the 2000-01 season that Ole Miss has begun a season this hot and 13th time ever in the program's 51 years of history.
THE IWUALA IMPACT
Christeen Iwuala has established herself as one of the top frontcourt players in the SEC throughout the nonconference season. She has recorded a double-double in three of her past five outings, after previously never earning the feat in any of her three seasons of collegiate basketball prior. Iwuala has led the Rebels in scoring four times and grabbed the most rebounds five times this year, leading Ole Miss in both categories. She is following the pattern that Rebel transfers under Coach Yo tend to blossom in their second year in Oxford, joining the likes of Marquesha Davis, Angel Baker and Shakira Austin.
This past weekend, she became one of the first Rebels to earn at least 10 points through the first seven games of the season for the first time since the 2020-21 season, and is a part of the first Rebel duo, alongside Cotie McMahon, to record double-digits points through seven games in the 21st century and the first since at least the 1998-99 season.
ALL-TOURNAMENT FIRST TEAM
After her impressive showing at the Coast 2 Coast Classic, Christeen Iwuala was one of five student-athletes that were named to the All-Tournament First Team. In just this week alone, she led the SEC in rebounds with 26 and in field goals with 22, while also ranking third in most points in the conference at 55. Earning 21 points and 10 rebounds in the second game of the weekend against George Mason, Iwuala earned her third double-double of her career. She narrowly missed having another double-double in the first game against Wisconsin, falling just two rebounds short after earning 20 points and eight rebounds.
Season and single game tickets for the 2025-26 campaign are on sale now. Click here to secure yours today or visit OleMissTix.com.
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. 13/13 Ole Miss Rebels (7-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 8th Season at Ole Miss (132-95) • 13th Season in Career (226-158)
No. 18/19 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1, 0-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Niele Ivey • 6th Season at Notre Dame (122-39) • 6th Season in Career (122-39)
ON THE AIR
Television: ESPN 2
Play-by-Play: Tiffany Greene
Color: Carolyn Peck
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss and Notre Dame are facing off for just the second time in the series history, but the second time in two years. The Rebels and Fighting Irish last faced off in the second round of the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament, with Notre Dame claiming a 71-56 win as the host team.
In that game, Madison Scott and Kennedy Todd-Williams combined for 30 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Fighting Irish shot 50 percent from the field, including 44.4 percent from beyond the arc.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH
Head coach Niele Ivey is in her sixth season at the helm of her alma mater and has revitalized the program into a perennial powerhouse. With a career record of 122-39, Ivey has guided the Fighting Irish to four consecutive trips to the Sweet 16 and an ACC Tournament title. Ivey and the Fighting Irish have continued that upward trajectory to start 2025-26, opening the season with a 5-1 record. Notre Dame's only loss this season has come from now No. 6 Michigan.
Last season, Notre Dame went 28-6 and earned a share of the ACC regular season title for the second time in three years. The Fighting Irish downed three AP Top 5 teams in the same season for the first time in program history. One of Ivey's crown jewels is junior guard Hannah Hidalgo out of Merchantville, New Jersey. Hidalgo has been one of the best players in the country and is an established offensive threat from all areas of the court. Hidalgo has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of her seasons with the Fighting Irish and enters Thursday's matchup against the Rebels averaging 27.0 points in six games. Hidalgo is also a defensive menace, averaging over six steals a game to start this season.
The Fighting Irish boast one of the most experienced teams in all of NCAA women's basketball this season. Ten members of the team are upperclassmen, five of which are graduates. Two seniors who have entered the conversation as strong second and third options behind Hidalgo are KK Bransford and Cassandre Prosper. Both guards are averaging north of 10 points per game, while Bransford leads the team in rebounds at 6.8 per contest.
Rounding out the starting five for the Notre Dame is Vanessa De Jesus and Gisela Sanchez. De Jesus has established herself alongside Hidalgo as one of the best 3-point shooters on the team while Sanchez' 6-foot-4 stature is the tallest on the team. The aforementioned five athletes have been Notre Dame's staple to start each game this season.
GAMES AGAINST THE ACC
The Rebels are 16-21 against all members in the ACC during their 51-year history. Ole Miss has most frequently played Miami, playing the Hurricane seven times. Ole Miss has beaten Miami and Florida State the most among ACC opponents, claiming three wins each.
Ole Miss faced two members of the ACC last season, besting Boston College but falling to NC State. Ole Miss dominated Boston College in the first round of the Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship, 92-55, as five Rebels reached double-digit scoring. It was Ole Miss' first victory against an ACC opponent since beating Georgia Texh, 63-48, on March 22, 2015.
In last season's edition of the SEC/ACC Challenge, the Rebels narrowly fell to the Wolfpack, 68-62. The Rebels are looking for their first victory in the challenge on their third attempt. In the inaugural SEC/ACC Challenge game, Ole Miss fell to No. 22 Louisville, 64-58.
THE EXPECTATION, NOT THE EXCEPTION
Entering year eight of the Yolett McPhee-McCuin era in Oxford, the standard has been set. Two Sweet 16s in three years, four NCAA Tournaments in a row, four straight 10-win SEC seasons, multiple All-SEC selections and three WNBA Draft picks, the Rebels have re-asserted themselves as a top program in women's college basketball.
RANKED REBELS
Garnering national recognition in the polls, the Rebels recently came in at No. 13 in the AP, marking the highest ranking following four weeks of play since Dec. 17, 1990 when the Rebels were at No. 11. Additionally, the Rebels came in at No. 13 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, marking the best week four ranking since Dec 19, 1990 where Ole Miss was picked at No. 11.
HOME SWEET HOME
Rebel nation has turned the SJB Pavilion into an intimidating environment for visiting teams, especially in the nonconference slate. Ole Miss has won 34 of its last 37 games at home against nonconference opponents, dating back to the 2020 season. During the 2024-25 season, the Rebels won all seven nonconference games at the SJB Pavilion, the third time Ole Miss has entered conference competition undefeated at home under Coach Yo. The Rebels aim to build on that success with the six more nonconference matchups on their home court this year.
"YO"VEMBER
Starting off the year a perfect 5-0, Ole Miss went undefeated through the full month of November for the first time since the 2008-09 season, averaging an impressive scoring margin of +30.6. Additionally, the Rebels are undefeated through seven games for the first time since 2008-09, the first time in head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin's tenure at the helm. It's only the third time since the 2000-01 season that Ole Miss has begun a season this hot and 13th time ever in the program's 51 years of history.
THE IWUALA IMPACT
Christeen Iwuala has established herself as one of the top frontcourt players in the SEC throughout the nonconference season. She has recorded a double-double in three of her past five outings, after previously never earning the feat in any of her three seasons of collegiate basketball prior. Iwuala has led the Rebels in scoring four times and grabbed the most rebounds five times this year, leading Ole Miss in both categories. She is following the pattern that Rebel transfers under Coach Yo tend to blossom in their second year in Oxford, joining the likes of Marquesha Davis, Angel Baker and Shakira Austin.
This past weekend, she became one of the first Rebels to earn at least 10 points through the first seven games of the season for the first time since the 2020-21 season, and is a part of the first Rebel duo, alongside Cotie McMahon, to record double-digits points through seven games in the 21st century and the first since at least the 1998-99 season.
ALL-TOURNAMENT FIRST TEAM
After her impressive showing at the Coast 2 Coast Classic, Christeen Iwuala was one of five student-athletes that were named to the All-Tournament First Team. In just this week alone, she led the SEC in rebounds with 26 and in field goals with 22, while also ranking third in most points in the conference at 55. Earning 21 points and 10 rebounds in the second game of the weekend against George Mason, Iwuala earned her third double-double of her career. She narrowly missed having another double-double in the first game against Wisconsin, falling just two rebounds short after earning 20 points and eight rebounds.
Season and single game tickets for the 2025-26 campaign are on sale now. Click here to secure yours today or visit OleMissTix.com.
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
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballPRESSER | Christeen Iwuala & Cotie McMahon (12-02-25)
Tuesday, December 02
PRESSER | Yolett McPhee-McCuin (12-02-25)
Tuesday, December 02
HIGHLIGHTS: Women's Basketball vs. George Mason (11-29-25)
Saturday, November 29
PRESSER | Yolett McPhee-McCuin - Postgame vs. George Mason (11-29-25)
Saturday, November 29