The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, March 20
Minneapolis, Minn.
2:30 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Gonzaga
No. 19 Women’s Basketball Opens NCAA Tournament Against Gonzaga
3/19/2026 | Women's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – Making its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament, fifth-seeded Ole Miss women's basketball will kick off the Madness against 12th-seeded Gonzaga in Williams Arena on Friday, March 20. The Rebels will look to secure a victory in the first round of the tournament for the fourth year in a row and the 15th time in program history, taking on the Bulldogs at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
TEAM FACTS
No. 19/20 Ole Miss Rebels (23-11, 8-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 8th Season at Ole Miss (148-105) • 13th Season in Career (242-168)
Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-9, 14-4 WCC)
Head Coach: Lisa Fortier • 12th Season at GU (313-83) • 12th Season in Career (313-83)
ON THE AIR
Television: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Krista Blunk
Color: Andrea Lloyd
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
REBELS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Appearing in its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, Ole Miss reaches the big dance for the fifth straight season. The Rebels are one of only four teams that have been in the SEC the last five years to accomplish that feat.
The Rebels have made it past the first weekend of the tournament in over half of their appearances, making 12 Sweet Sixteens before moving on to five Elite Eights.
AS A NO. 5 SEED
The Rebels are seeded at No. 5 for the fourth time in school history and second year in a row. Prior to last season, it marked the first time since 1994 that Ole Miss was selected at No. 5. As a five, Ole Miss is 5-3 overall and advanced to the Sweet 16 during the 1989-90 and 2024-25 seasons.
SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss will open its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance with a matchup against 12th-seeded Gonzaga. It marks just the fourth time in the programs' histories that they've faced, with the Rebels holding a 2-1 series lead. This is the second time the Rebels and Bulldogs are meeting in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the first time being the most recent matchup on March 17, 2023. Ole Miss bested Gonzaga, 71-48, to advance to the next round of the tournament.
In the last matchup, the Rebels dominated the Bulldogs from start to finish, holding them to just one 3-pointer in 17 attempts. Madison Scott paved the way for Ole Miss in the victory, bringing in a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Snudda Collins scored 15 points off the bench, which included a trio of 3-pointers. Ole Miss' win was its first in the NCAA Tournament since 2007 and advanced to the Round of 32 for the 11th time in program history. Ole Miss would go on to best Stanford to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16.
That game saw the Rebels set multiple program records for NCAA Tournament games, including the fewest points allowed, the widest margin of victory, most 3-pointers made, and had the then-record for most rebounds in a game with 51. The latter record was reset with 53 in last season's win over Ball State.
Ole Miss' first win over Gonzaga came on Nov. 26, 2010, at the Waikiki Rainbow Wahine Beach Marriott Classic in Honolulu. Kayla Melson dropped 20 points with seven rebounds and four assists to push the Rebels past the Bulldogs, 53-52. Valencia McFarland scored Ole Miss' gamewinner with four seconds on the clock. Gonzaga won the first game of the series, 66-62, on Dec. 30, 1993.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Lisa Fortier is in her 12th season guiding Gonzaga as its head women's basketball coach. Fortier has been coaching at Gonzaga since 2007, and she began her career as the coordinator of basketball operations at Gonzaga in 2004. Fortier has brought Gonzaga's women's basketball team to new heights since her first season at the helm, leading the Bulldogs to a 313-83 record entering the NCAA Tournament. She's four wins away from becoming Gonzaga's winningest head coach, a feat she will accomplish nearly 50 games quicker than the present leader.
Under Fortier, Gonzaga is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have qualified for nine postseason appearances, and this season marks a return to the big dance after participating in the WBIT last year. The Bulldogs have reached the Sweet 16 twice with Fortier on the bench, most recently in 2023-24, a year in which they went 16-0 in conference play. This season, Gonzaga went a solid 24-9 overall with a 14-4 record against WCC opponents. Gonzaga bested Oregon State in the WCC Championship game earlier this month, its 11th conference tournament victory in program history.
Redshirt freshman Lauren Whittaker has been Gonzaga's most efficient and capable scorer this season, averaging 19.4 points per game on a 55.3 percent shooting clip. She's also deadly from long range, making just over 37 percent of her 3-point attempts. Whittaker is also a solid rebounder, as she averages a double-double with a 10.2 average in the paint. She's recorded 17 double-doubles this season, which is 14th in the country.
However, Allie Turner is Gonzaga's top 3-point shooter, making 46.7 percent from such distance this season. That is the third highest 3-point percentage in the nation and second highest among competitors in the NCAA Tournament this season. The duo's shooting has made Gonzaga one of the two best 3-point shooting teams in the country, making 39 percent as a squad. Only UConn has a higher percentage.
Whittaker and freshman forward Jaiden Haile have guided the Bulldogs in dominant paint presence. The duo has helped lead Gonzaga to outrebound its opponents by 11.0 on average this season, the sixth best mark in the nation. The team also passes well, as eight players average at least one assist per game with the team holding a 17.0 average. The mark is just outside the top 25 in the country.
OLE MISS AGAINST THE WCC
Ole Miss' first round matchup against Gonzaga will mark just the eighth time the Rebels will have faced a member of the West Coast Conference. They currently hold a 4-3 combined record against all nine conference members. Ole Miss has faced Gonzaga the most with three matchups, and have faced the following opponents only once: Pacific, Pepperdine, Saint Mary's and Santa Clara. Ole Miss defeated the former two in the matchups, but fell to the latter pair of opponents.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss' run at the 2026 SEC Tournament concluded after falling to the eventual SEC Tournament Champions in Texas, 85-68, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Rebels battled in the second half after trailing by double-digits through the first half, but the Longhorns rode strong, opening and closing surges that would seal their win. Ole Miss leaves Greenville with a pair of strong victories, including a toppling of No. 5/5 Vanderbilt in the quarterfinal round, as the Rebels have now earned 34 wins all-time at the SEC Tournament.
Cotie McMahon and Denim DeShields excelled for the Rebels and kept Ole Miss in the fight throughout. The pair scored 20 points each, making 15 field goals between the two of them. For DeShields, her 20-piece marked an Ole Miss best for the senior. She also led the team with five assists and made a clutch 3-pointer as time expired in the third.
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE REBELS
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. 19/20 Ole Miss Rebels (23-11, 8-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 8th Season at Ole Miss (148-105) • 13th Season in Career (242-168)
Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-9, 14-4 WCC)
Head Coach: Lisa Fortier • 12th Season at GU (313-83) • 12th Season in Career (313-83)
ON THE AIR
Television: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Krista Blunk
Color: Andrea Lloyd
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
REBELS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Appearing in its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, Ole Miss reaches the big dance for the fifth straight season. The Rebels are one of only four teams that have been in the SEC the last five years to accomplish that feat.
The Rebels have made it past the first weekend of the tournament in over half of their appearances, making 12 Sweet Sixteens before moving on to five Elite Eights.
AS A NO. 5 SEED
The Rebels are seeded at No. 5 for the fourth time in school history and second year in a row. Prior to last season, it marked the first time since 1994 that Ole Miss was selected at No. 5. As a five, Ole Miss is 5-3 overall and advanced to the Sweet 16 during the 1989-90 and 2024-25 seasons.
SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss will open its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance with a matchup against 12th-seeded Gonzaga. It marks just the fourth time in the programs' histories that they've faced, with the Rebels holding a 2-1 series lead. This is the second time the Rebels and Bulldogs are meeting in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the first time being the most recent matchup on March 17, 2023. Ole Miss bested Gonzaga, 71-48, to advance to the next round of the tournament.
In the last matchup, the Rebels dominated the Bulldogs from start to finish, holding them to just one 3-pointer in 17 attempts. Madison Scott paved the way for Ole Miss in the victory, bringing in a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Snudda Collins scored 15 points off the bench, which included a trio of 3-pointers. Ole Miss' win was its first in the NCAA Tournament since 2007 and advanced to the Round of 32 for the 11th time in program history. Ole Miss would go on to best Stanford to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16.
That game saw the Rebels set multiple program records for NCAA Tournament games, including the fewest points allowed, the widest margin of victory, most 3-pointers made, and had the then-record for most rebounds in a game with 51. The latter record was reset with 53 in last season's win over Ball State.
Ole Miss' first win over Gonzaga came on Nov. 26, 2010, at the Waikiki Rainbow Wahine Beach Marriott Classic in Honolulu. Kayla Melson dropped 20 points with seven rebounds and four assists to push the Rebels past the Bulldogs, 53-52. Valencia McFarland scored Ole Miss' gamewinner with four seconds on the clock. Gonzaga won the first game of the series, 66-62, on Dec. 30, 1993.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Lisa Fortier is in her 12th season guiding Gonzaga as its head women's basketball coach. Fortier has been coaching at Gonzaga since 2007, and she began her career as the coordinator of basketball operations at Gonzaga in 2004. Fortier has brought Gonzaga's women's basketball team to new heights since her first season at the helm, leading the Bulldogs to a 313-83 record entering the NCAA Tournament. She's four wins away from becoming Gonzaga's winningest head coach, a feat she will accomplish nearly 50 games quicker than the present leader.
Under Fortier, Gonzaga is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have qualified for nine postseason appearances, and this season marks a return to the big dance after participating in the WBIT last year. The Bulldogs have reached the Sweet 16 twice with Fortier on the bench, most recently in 2023-24, a year in which they went 16-0 in conference play. This season, Gonzaga went a solid 24-9 overall with a 14-4 record against WCC opponents. Gonzaga bested Oregon State in the WCC Championship game earlier this month, its 11th conference tournament victory in program history.
Redshirt freshman Lauren Whittaker has been Gonzaga's most efficient and capable scorer this season, averaging 19.4 points per game on a 55.3 percent shooting clip. She's also deadly from long range, making just over 37 percent of her 3-point attempts. Whittaker is also a solid rebounder, as she averages a double-double with a 10.2 average in the paint. She's recorded 17 double-doubles this season, which is 14th in the country.
However, Allie Turner is Gonzaga's top 3-point shooter, making 46.7 percent from such distance this season. That is the third highest 3-point percentage in the nation and second highest among competitors in the NCAA Tournament this season. The duo's shooting has made Gonzaga one of the two best 3-point shooting teams in the country, making 39 percent as a squad. Only UConn has a higher percentage.
Whittaker and freshman forward Jaiden Haile have guided the Bulldogs in dominant paint presence. The duo has helped lead Gonzaga to outrebound its opponents by 11.0 on average this season, the sixth best mark in the nation. The team also passes well, as eight players average at least one assist per game with the team holding a 17.0 average. The mark is just outside the top 25 in the country.
OLE MISS AGAINST THE WCC
Ole Miss' first round matchup against Gonzaga will mark just the eighth time the Rebels will have faced a member of the West Coast Conference. They currently hold a 4-3 combined record against all nine conference members. Ole Miss has faced Gonzaga the most with three matchups, and have faced the following opponents only once: Pacific, Pepperdine, Saint Mary's and Santa Clara. Ole Miss defeated the former two in the matchups, but fell to the latter pair of opponents.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss' run at the 2026 SEC Tournament concluded after falling to the eventual SEC Tournament Champions in Texas, 85-68, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Rebels battled in the second half after trailing by double-digits through the first half, but the Longhorns rode strong, opening and closing surges that would seal their win. Ole Miss leaves Greenville with a pair of strong victories, including a toppling of No. 5/5 Vanderbilt in the quarterfinal round, as the Rebels have now earned 34 wins all-time at the SEC Tournament.
Cotie McMahon and Denim DeShields excelled for the Rebels and kept Ole Miss in the fight throughout. The pair scored 20 points each, making 15 field goals between the two of them. For DeShields, her 20-piece marked an Ole Miss best for the senior. She also led the team with five assists and made a clutch 3-pointer as time expired in the third.
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE REBELS
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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