The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women’s Basketball Travels to No. 7/7 LSU for Regular Season Finale
3/1/2025 | Women's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Rebels are searching for their fourth consecutive year with 10 or more conference wins, as Ole Miss women's basketball travels to No. 7/7 LSU for its regular season finale on Sunday, March 2 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Tipoff between the Rebels and Tigers will be at 3:00 p.m. CT, airing on SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
RV/RV Ole Miss Rebels (18-9, 9-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 7th Season at Ole Miss (121-93) • 12th Season in Career (215-156)
No. 7/7 LSU Tigers (27-3, 12-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Kim Mulkey • 4th Season at LSU (118-17) • 24th Season in Career (750-121)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Kevin Fitzgerald
Color: Anne O'Neil
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
OLE MISS VS. LSU
Ole Miss and LSU are facing each other for the 66th time in series history. LSU holds a 43-22 series advantage and has claimed the last 12 games over Ole Miss. The series dates to 1978.
Ole Miss has nine victories against LSU when the Tigers are ranked, most recently recording a win in a triple-overtime game on Feb. 7, 2010, when the Rebels toppled the No. 19/21 Tigers, 102-101. Bianca Thomas, Elizabeth Robertson and Kayla Melson each recorded 20-or-more points to secure the upset. The trio, as well as Shantell Black, played 50-plus minutes that day as Nikki Byrd had a double-double. As a team, Ole Miss made 13 3-pointers as it swept the season series.
In that game, Robertson made seven threes, tied for the fourth-most by a Rebel in program history.
Earlier that season, Thomas scored 42 points against the Tigers by making 13 field goals, four of which from long distance, and 12 free throws. It's the second-best individual scoring effort in program history, just three points shy of Peggie Gillom's 45 points against Tennessee in 1978. Thomas also added a team-leading eight rebounds and two steals, while Melson dished out the fifth-most assists by a Rebel in a single game with 13.
Gillom made some history of her own against LSU. The season after dropping her notorious 45-point game, she made 16 field goals against the Tigers, which tied for the then third-most field goals made by a single player in Ole Miss history. Presently, it sits tied for fifth.
The Rebels last knocked off the Tigers on Feb. 26, 2015, in a 58-57 thriller in Oxford. Four Rebels scored in double-digits, with Erika Sisk and Gracie Frizzell leading the charge with 14 points apiece. Sisk was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line, as Frizzell made four 3-pointers. Tia Faleru also had a solid outing, recording a double-double with 10 points and rebounds each.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Kim Mulkey is in her fourth season leading LSU's women's basketball program. In her tenure as the Tigers coach, she guided LSU to its first national title in 2023 with a 34-2 overall record. This season has been nearly as dominant, with a 27-3 overall record and a 12-3 mark in SEC play entering Sunday's contest.
LSU boasts six top 10 national statistical rankings entering its final game of the regular season. Three Tigers are averaging upward of 17 points per game, them being Flau'Jae Johnson (18.9 ppg), Aneesah Morrow (17.8 ppg) and Mikaylah Williams (17.2 ppg). This trio has helped guide LSU to the sixth-ranked scoring offense in the country and the third-best in the SEC.
LSU has the capability of making games one-sided, holding the 11th highest scoring margin in the country. The Tigers' biggest win of the season came via a 131-44 routing of NC Central. Nine players scored in double figures to form the comfortable 87-point win. The margin has been slimmer in conference play, however, with LSU sitting fourth in the SEC with a +8.13 mark, one slot above Ole Miss' +7.47.
Rebounding is what has set LSU apart from other teams, as it ranks third in the nation with 46.77 per game, and 17.6 of which coming from the offensive glass. Morrow is the undisputed champion of rebounding in the SEC, as she paces the conference with 408 total so far this season, 134 rebounds more than Mississippi State's Madina Okot, who is second in the SEC. Morrow is also No. 1 in the conference in both offensive and defensive rebounds per game.
Morrow routinely secures double-doubles, holding 25 to her name this season alone. She's on pace to finish her season averaging a double-double for the fourth consecutive year of her collegiate basketball career. Morrow is also a known pickpocket, averaging 2.6 steals per game, which ranks fourth in the SEC.
LSU isn't known for its long-distance shooting, but it does have capable competitors. Williams and Johnson lead the team, making 37 and 38 percent of their 3-pointers, respectively.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss put forth a strong effort against No. 6/6 South Carolina, but fell short, 75-59, Thursday night in its final home game of the season at the SJB Pavilion.
Sira Thienou and Christeen Iwuala had similar stat lines to lead Ole Miss against South Carolina. Thienou had a solid effort off the bench for Ole Miss, scoring a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds. Iwuala made her second start in a Rebel jersey against the Gamecocks, scoring 10 points while defending the paint with a team-leading nine rebounds. Her rebounding mark also tied a career-best.
A trio of Rebels eclipsed the 300-point mark for the season, all in the opening three minutes of the second quarter. Kennedy Todd-Williams did it first by converting an and-one, Starr Jacobs joined her shortly after with a jump shot in the paint off a dish from Kharyssa Richardson. Thienou's impressive half continued as she scored two quick layups to give the Rebels the lead and to meet the feat.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
When it comes to facing off against ranked opponents, Ole Miss owns 92 wins against such teams. The Rebels picked up two of those victories this season, taking down No. 23 Vanderbilt and No. 8 Kentucky. Under Yolett McPhee-McCuin, the Rebels have knocked off 12 ranked opponents.
Ole Miss has toppled 31 teams ranked in the top-10, with 14 of those victories occurring while the Rebels are unranked. The most recent top-10 win was against 8th-ranked Kentucky on Feb. 10, 2025, marking the second time in the Coach Yo era that the Rebels have dropped a top-10 ranked team, with the prior upset coming in the 2023 NCAA Tournament against No. 5 Stanford.
Having already faced nine ranked opponents in the Associated Press poll during the 2024-25 season, Ole Miss' gauntlet of a schedule continues with another highly touted ranked team on deck in its final game of the regular season.
The last time a Rebel team has defeated two top-10 foes in the same season was during the 2006-07 season. Ole Miss took down No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Maryland and No. 9 Oklahoma all in a three-month span.
TEN IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
Ole Miss is on the hunt, as the Rebels are one SEC game away from earning 10 conference wins for the fourth consecutive season.
The 2021-22 Rebels won 10, the 2022-23 team won 11 games and the 2023-24 Ole Miss squad had 12 victories in SEC play. Reaching the 10-win milestone is the first time in program history that Ole Miss has won 10 SEC games three years in a row.
GILLOM TROPHY
Postseason accolades are starting to roll in for the Rebels, as Ole Miss' graduate student Madison Scott has been named one of three finalists for the 2025 Gillom Trophy presented by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Pearl River Resort.
Scott is joined as a finalist for the prestigious award by Jerkaila Jordan from Mississippi State and Jackson State's Taleah Dilworth. The winner will be announced at a luncheon held at the Pearl River Resort on Monday, March 10.
The Gillom Trophy has been presented annually since 2008 to the most outstanding women's basketball player in the state, in honor of Ole Miss legend Peggie Gillom-Granderson. A Rebel has won the award three of the last four seasons, with Shakira Austin taking home the trophy in 2021 and 2022, then Angel Baker in 2023.
BLOCKING THE BENCH
The Rebels' defense was prominent in its matchup against the Gamecocks, blocking nine South Carolina shots, the most the Gamecocks have given up all season.
Additionally, Ole Miss held South Carolina to 24 points from its bench, the second-lowest scored by the Gamecocks this season. Entering Thursday's matchup, South Carolina averaged 42.6 points off the bench per game, which ranked No. 1 in the country.
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE REBELS
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.
TEAM FACTS
RV/RV Ole Miss Rebels (18-9, 9-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 7th Season at Ole Miss (121-93) • 12th Season in Career (215-156)
No. 7/7 LSU Tigers (27-3, 12-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Kim Mulkey • 4th Season at LSU (118-17) • 24th Season in Career (750-121)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Kevin Fitzgerald
Color: Anne O'Neil
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
OLE MISS VS. LSU
Ole Miss and LSU are facing each other for the 66th time in series history. LSU holds a 43-22 series advantage and has claimed the last 12 games over Ole Miss. The series dates to 1978.
Ole Miss has nine victories against LSU when the Tigers are ranked, most recently recording a win in a triple-overtime game on Feb. 7, 2010, when the Rebels toppled the No. 19/21 Tigers, 102-101. Bianca Thomas, Elizabeth Robertson and Kayla Melson each recorded 20-or-more points to secure the upset. The trio, as well as Shantell Black, played 50-plus minutes that day as Nikki Byrd had a double-double. As a team, Ole Miss made 13 3-pointers as it swept the season series.
In that game, Robertson made seven threes, tied for the fourth-most by a Rebel in program history.
Earlier that season, Thomas scored 42 points against the Tigers by making 13 field goals, four of which from long distance, and 12 free throws. It's the second-best individual scoring effort in program history, just three points shy of Peggie Gillom's 45 points against Tennessee in 1978. Thomas also added a team-leading eight rebounds and two steals, while Melson dished out the fifth-most assists by a Rebel in a single game with 13.
Gillom made some history of her own against LSU. The season after dropping her notorious 45-point game, she made 16 field goals against the Tigers, which tied for the then third-most field goals made by a single player in Ole Miss history. Presently, it sits tied for fifth.
The Rebels last knocked off the Tigers on Feb. 26, 2015, in a 58-57 thriller in Oxford. Four Rebels scored in double-digits, with Erika Sisk and Gracie Frizzell leading the charge with 14 points apiece. Sisk was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line, as Frizzell made four 3-pointers. Tia Faleru also had a solid outing, recording a double-double with 10 points and rebounds each.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Kim Mulkey is in her fourth season leading LSU's women's basketball program. In her tenure as the Tigers coach, she guided LSU to its first national title in 2023 with a 34-2 overall record. This season has been nearly as dominant, with a 27-3 overall record and a 12-3 mark in SEC play entering Sunday's contest.
LSU boasts six top 10 national statistical rankings entering its final game of the regular season. Three Tigers are averaging upward of 17 points per game, them being Flau'Jae Johnson (18.9 ppg), Aneesah Morrow (17.8 ppg) and Mikaylah Williams (17.2 ppg). This trio has helped guide LSU to the sixth-ranked scoring offense in the country and the third-best in the SEC.
LSU has the capability of making games one-sided, holding the 11th highest scoring margin in the country. The Tigers' biggest win of the season came via a 131-44 routing of NC Central. Nine players scored in double figures to form the comfortable 87-point win. The margin has been slimmer in conference play, however, with LSU sitting fourth in the SEC with a +8.13 mark, one slot above Ole Miss' +7.47.
Rebounding is what has set LSU apart from other teams, as it ranks third in the nation with 46.77 per game, and 17.6 of which coming from the offensive glass. Morrow is the undisputed champion of rebounding in the SEC, as she paces the conference with 408 total so far this season, 134 rebounds more than Mississippi State's Madina Okot, who is second in the SEC. Morrow is also No. 1 in the conference in both offensive and defensive rebounds per game.
Morrow routinely secures double-doubles, holding 25 to her name this season alone. She's on pace to finish her season averaging a double-double for the fourth consecutive year of her collegiate basketball career. Morrow is also a known pickpocket, averaging 2.6 steals per game, which ranks fourth in the SEC.
LSU isn't known for its long-distance shooting, but it does have capable competitors. Williams and Johnson lead the team, making 37 and 38 percent of their 3-pointers, respectively.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss put forth a strong effort against No. 6/6 South Carolina, but fell short, 75-59, Thursday night in its final home game of the season at the SJB Pavilion.
Sira Thienou and Christeen Iwuala had similar stat lines to lead Ole Miss against South Carolina. Thienou had a solid effort off the bench for Ole Miss, scoring a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds. Iwuala made her second start in a Rebel jersey against the Gamecocks, scoring 10 points while defending the paint with a team-leading nine rebounds. Her rebounding mark also tied a career-best.
A trio of Rebels eclipsed the 300-point mark for the season, all in the opening three minutes of the second quarter. Kennedy Todd-Williams did it first by converting an and-one, Starr Jacobs joined her shortly after with a jump shot in the paint off a dish from Kharyssa Richardson. Thienou's impressive half continued as she scored two quick layups to give the Rebels the lead and to meet the feat.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
When it comes to facing off against ranked opponents, Ole Miss owns 92 wins against such teams. The Rebels picked up two of those victories this season, taking down No. 23 Vanderbilt and No. 8 Kentucky. Under Yolett McPhee-McCuin, the Rebels have knocked off 12 ranked opponents.
Ole Miss has toppled 31 teams ranked in the top-10, with 14 of those victories occurring while the Rebels are unranked. The most recent top-10 win was against 8th-ranked Kentucky on Feb. 10, 2025, marking the second time in the Coach Yo era that the Rebels have dropped a top-10 ranked team, with the prior upset coming in the 2023 NCAA Tournament against No. 5 Stanford.
Having already faced nine ranked opponents in the Associated Press poll during the 2024-25 season, Ole Miss' gauntlet of a schedule continues with another highly touted ranked team on deck in its final game of the regular season.
The last time a Rebel team has defeated two top-10 foes in the same season was during the 2006-07 season. Ole Miss took down No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Maryland and No. 9 Oklahoma all in a three-month span.
TEN IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
Ole Miss is on the hunt, as the Rebels are one SEC game away from earning 10 conference wins for the fourth consecutive season.
The 2021-22 Rebels won 10, the 2022-23 team won 11 games and the 2023-24 Ole Miss squad had 12 victories in SEC play. Reaching the 10-win milestone is the first time in program history that Ole Miss has won 10 SEC games three years in a row.
GILLOM TROPHY
Postseason accolades are starting to roll in for the Rebels, as Ole Miss' graduate student Madison Scott has been named one of three finalists for the 2025 Gillom Trophy presented by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Pearl River Resort.
Scott is joined as a finalist for the prestigious award by Jerkaila Jordan from Mississippi State and Jackson State's Taleah Dilworth. The winner will be announced at a luncheon held at the Pearl River Resort on Monday, March 10.
The Gillom Trophy has been presented annually since 2008 to the most outstanding women's basketball player in the state, in honor of Ole Miss legend Peggie Gillom-Granderson. A Rebel has won the award three of the last four seasons, with Shakira Austin taking home the trophy in 2021 and 2022, then Angel Baker in 2023.
BLOCKING THE BENCH
The Rebels' defense was prominent in its matchup against the Gamecocks, blocking nine South Carolina shots, the most the Gamecocks have given up all season.
Additionally, Ole Miss held South Carolina to 24 points from its bench, the second-lowest scored by the Gamecocks this season. Entering Thursday's matchup, South Carolina averaged 42.6 points off the bench per game, which ranked No. 1 in the country.
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE REBELS
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.
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