Women's Basketball to Clash With No. 17 Utah In Pink Flamingo Championship - Ole Miss Athletics
NASSAU, Bahamas – The Ole Miss women's basketball team (5-0) will face their toughest test of the season so far on Wednesday night when they take on No. 17 Utah (5-0) in the Bahamas at 6:00 p.m. Central time.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (5-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 5th Season at Ole Miss (59-66) • 153-129 career record (10th Season)
No. 17 Utah Utes (5-0, 0-0 PAC-12)
Head Coach: Lynne Roberts • 8th Season at Utah (116-99) • 337-274 career record (20th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: FloHoops
Play by Play: Sam Hyman
Analyst: Ashlee Jones
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
Station: 105.1 FM
VERSUS UTAH
The neutral site match up will be the first time the two teams have met since 2014, where the Rebels defeated the Utes 53-28.
This will be the fourth matchup between Ole Miss and Utah, a series dating back to 1978. Overall, Ole Miss holds a 3-0 lead against Utah.
REBELS VERSUS THE PAC-12
Currently, Ole Miss is tied in its record against Pac- 12 teams, 7-7. A win against the Utes would give Ole Miss a lead against the Pac-12. Utah is the only Pac-12 school the Rebels will face in the regular season this year.
SCOUTING THE UTES
Utah enters Wednesday's matchup 5-0 of the season after defeating Alabama 93-86 in its first game of Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship on Monday.
Utah currently sits at No. 17 in the AP Poll and No. 24 in the Coaches Poll. They recently defeated No. 16 Oklahoma in a whopping 124-78 on their home court to advance their ranking.
This will be the Rebels first ranked opponent they have faced off against this season.
In the 8th season under head coach Lynn Roberts, the Utes are averaging a dominant 102.0 points a game with a field goal percentage of 52.3.
During the 2021-22 season, the Utes finished with a record of 21-12, marking the most wins in a season since the 2012-13 season. Utah punched its ticket into the NCAA Tournament but fell to No. 2 seed Texas in the second round to cap off its successful season.
RECORD BREAKING REBS
After holding the Southern Miss Eagles to seven points in the first half, the Rebels broke the record for the fewest points allowed in a single half in Ole Miss women's basketball history in a dominant 92-46 win at SJB Pavilion on Wednesday night.
At the half, Ole Miss held a 48-7 lead against the Eagles. The 41-point margin ranks tied as the fourth-highest scoring margin in a half.
BAKER IN HER BAG
Angel Baker put up an Ole Miss career high on Wednesday night against Southern Miss with 25 points (11-16 FG).
Baker is the first 20-point scorer for the Rebels since she put down 23 points versus South Dakota in last season's NCAA Tournament game.
THE HOMECOMING QUEEN RETURNS
Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin returns home to her native country of The Bahamas to compete in the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Challenge this week.
Coach Yo has made history as the first Bahamian woman to sign a Division I letter of intent as a player and the first Bahamian woman to coach at a Division I school. Coach "Yo" has served as the head coach of the Bahamian National Team since 2013 and is a member of the Bahamian Athletic Hall of Fame (2016 inductee).
PUTTING UP PERFECT NUMBERS
Marquesha Davis secured a perfect first half against the Eagles, starting hot in the first quarter and snagging 10 of her 12 first-half points en route to a perfect first half at 5-of-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from three.
A = BAKER + COLLINS
Both Angel Baker and Snudda Collins are putting up big numbers for the Ole Miss offense. Both players average at least a dozen points a game, with Baker averaging 15.0 and Collins averaging 13.0 per game.
The duo has secured double-digit figures in three out of four games this season.
TURNING UP THE PRESSURE
Defense was the name of the game for Ole Miss, as it forced the Eagles to 25 turnovers that turned into a whopping 43 points. The last time the Rebels forced at least 25 turnovers was Jan. 6, 2022 at Florida.
The last time Ole Miss managed at least 43 points off turnovers was in 2015 versus Alabama A&M, where the Rebels converted 49 points from turnovers.
COMFORTABLE BEHIND THE ARC
The Rebels rained down from the arc on Wednesday night, downing nine total three-pointers -- the most threes made this season.
The Rebels' 37.5-percent clip from beyond the arc is also a new season-high for Ole Miss.
Marquesha Davis is a large portion of those numbers, as she leads Ole Miss with a 50-percent shooting average from the three line.
Snudda Collins is the sharpshooter for the Rebels and has put down seven from behind the arc so far this season.
MYAH MAKING MOVES
Myah Taylor's 5 assists against Southern Miss puts her at 20 helpers so far this season. The Mississippi State-transfer is averaging 5.0 assists a game.
NOT IN OUR HOUSE
In Ole Miss' last three home games of this season, the Rebels have blocked 14 shots at the SJB Pavilion this season.
MARQUESHA MAKING STRIDES
Marquesha Davis completed a season-high game with 13 points and five rebounds against the Little Rock Trojans.
The Arkansas transfer went 6-of-8 from the field putting up big numbers for the Rebels and leading the offense to their first road win of the season.
Her five rebounds is in a three-way tie for season-high.
WE DEFEND ON THE ROAD
The Rebels packed their defense in their suitcase for their first road game of the season at Little Rock. Ole Miss only allowed Little Rock 40 points, the fewest yielded by Ole Miss since winning 59-37 at Hofstra last season.
The Rebels held the Trojans to a 37.8 field goal percentage, shutting down Little Rock to 17-of-45 overall.
Ole Miss has not dropped a true non-conference road test since 2019, winning five in a row.
BOARDS BROUGHT BY MADI
Madison Scott led Ole Miss at Little Rock with 10 boards.
This marks her second double-digit rebounding game of the season and 13th in her career.
TAYLOR KEEPS DEALING
As the SEC's active leader in career assists, Myah Taylor has no issue dishing out assists this season.
Taylor's eight assists against SEMO tied the most in a single-game by any SEC player this season. She currently sits sixth overall nationally in total assists this season. With six helpers against Kennesaw State, after Taylor's SEMO performance she put up back-to-back games with five or more assists.
Last season down the road at Mississippi State, Taylor led the conference averaging 5.9 assists per game.
Pitt transfer Rita Igbokwe made a statement in the second half against SEMO, tallying 10 points and three rejections as well as grabbing three rebounds.
The Jonesboro, Georgia, native ranks in the top-20 nationally in active career blocks with a total of 161.
As a team, the Rebels are averaging 4.7 blocks per season.
DANGEROUS DUO
When both Angel Baker and Madison Scott get going, the two are an unstoppable duo together.
Dating back to last season, when both score in double-figures the Rebels are 8-0 in those games.
Baker currently has 77 career outings in double-digits while Scott has 31.
GOING STREAKING - NON-CONFERENCE EDITION
As part of the third longest winning streak in program history, Ole Miss has rattled off 16 regular season victories against non-conference opponents dating back to last season.
MILESTONE-ACHIEVED
After hitting a milestone mark at Ole Miss with her 50th win at the helm of the Rebels coming against Texas A&M in February, McPhee-McCuin reached yet another career defining mark on Thursday against SEMO.
The fifth-year coach of the Rebels hit the 150 win mark in her career and her 56th victory at Ole Miss. In her five seasons at Jacksonville State, McPhee-McCuin amassed a record of 94-63.
ANY TIME. ANY PLACE.
The Rebels were a powerful force on the road last season, as with the victory at Missouri, the Rebels moved to 8-1 on the road to set the most wins away from home for the program in the 21st century.
The win at Auburn tied the most road wins in a season since 1993-94 at nine.
BACK WHERE THEY LEFT OFF
In the season opening 72-60 win Monday night against Kennesaw State, four out of the five Ole Miss returners felt right at home in the SJB Pavilion as they each finished their night in double-figures.
Madison Scott pieced together her 11th career double-double off of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Angel Baker matched her with 16 points off of seven field goals.
Snudda Collins contributed 14 points, after shooting 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, while Destiny Salary finished with 12 points for her fourth career game in double-digits.
THIS BLOCK PARTY AIN'T OVER
After breaking the single-season program record last season with a whopping 142 team blocks, Ole Miss proved that its defensive prowess isn't gone.
For the fourth straight outing, the Rebels blocked five or more shots as a team as they finished with a total of eight against the Owls. Madison Scott carried Ole Miss around the rim, with three rejections on her own.
COMFY IN THE NON-CON AT HOME
By defeating the Eagles on Wednesday, Ole Miss picked up its ninth straight win at home against a non-conference opponent, dating back to last season.
It's the first time under McPhee-McCuin the Rebels have won nine straight home non-conference games and the first time Ole Miss has accomplished the feat since the 2017-18 season.
HERE TO THRIVE
Coming off of a record-breaking season and its best winning percentage since 1993-94, the Rebels are back to prove that last season set the standard.
Highlighted by its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 seasons, Ole Miss returns five from last season's squad including the trio of Snudda Collins, Madison Scott and the reigning SEC-Sixth Woman of the Year Angel Baker.
OFF THE LINE
Three-point defense has been a point of emphasis during the Coach Yo era, with 73 of 1115 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)
4-of-4 (100.00%)
WROTE HISTORY
The 2021-22 Rebels etched their names in the Ole Miss record books, shattering feats that few other teams had accomplished before.
• 13 game winning streak - third longest in program history
• 142 blocks - program single-season record
• 10 SEC wins - second-time in Ole Miss history
• 20th 20-win season, first since 2006-07
• Angel Baker named the SEC Sixth-Woman of the Year.
SET THE STANDARD
The Rebels 23-9 record for an .718 winning percentage marked the program's best winning percentage not only in the four seasons under McPhee-McCuin, but the best since the 1993-1994 season where Ole Miss went 24-9.
RESTOCKED AND RELOADED
Despite losing six seniors, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin retooled and reshaped the Rebels through the use of the transfer portal adding six transfers. All six carry Power-Five playing experience, while three are well versed in the grind of the SEC.
Brooke Moore
• Will sit out the 2022-23 season due to injury
•Spent two seasons at Auburn, before transferring to Purdue
• Averaged 10.3 points per game, as a senior, ranking 10th in the nation in scoring among players with fewer than three starts
• Set a career-high in the First Round of the 2022 WNIT, with 27 points against Southern Illinois
Myah Taylor
• Graduate transfer from Mississippi State
• Left Starkville ranked sixth in total assists (445), third in assists per game (3.9) and eighth in total steals (195)
• As a senior, Led the SEC in assists per game (5.5), ranking 19th overall nationally
• Helped MSU lead the SEC in 2021-22 and rank fifth in the NCAA in fewest turnovers (340)
Marquesha Davis
• Transferred from Arkansas with two years of eligibility remaining
• Appeared in seven games as a junior before deciding to transfer, scoring a season-high 11 points against Sam Houston
• Scored in double-figures four times as a junior, including a career-high 15 points twice
• Honored as a First-Team All-USA Arkansas Girls Basketball selection as a senior out of Springdale High School
Tyia Singleton
• Transferred from Rutgers with two years of eligibility remaining
• Led the Scarlet Knights in blocks for two straight seasons, ranking 10th in the Big Ten as a redshirt junior with 1.0 per game
• Matched a career best last season with 13 rebounds at Nebraska
• Two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree
Elauna Eaton
• Transferred after two seasons at Arkansas alongside Marquesha Davis
• Appeared in 28 games as a redshirt freshman, earning two starts
• Scored a season-high 15 points and seven rebounds against UAPB
• Rated as the No. 9 guard and the No. 41 overall player in the nation out of Nettleton High School
Rita Igbokwe
• Transferred from Pitt with two years of eligibility left
• Played in 30 games as a junior, starting in 26
• Blocked 68 shots ranking 20th in the nation and third in the ACC in 2021-22
• Set a Pitt freshman record, with 60 blocked shots with 17 multi-block games
BUILT FOR THE LONG HAUL
The grind of the NCAA Tournament season can wear on teams, yet the Rebel coaching staff set out to build a roster with players set to withstand the season grind.
Nine out of 11 Rebels boast NCAA Tournament experience, with Baker, Salary and Taylor going further than the second round.
NEW KID IN TOWN
Not only did McPhee-McCuin make moves in the transfer portal, she also signed two freshman who look to make an early impact in Oxford.
Ayanna Thompson
• Rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 8 player in Texas by ESPN out of Desoto High School
• Member of the 28-2 team in 2021, winning Desoto's first 6A State Title in program history
•McDonald's All-America honoree
FLOOR GENERAL
Following her standout career in Starkville, Taylor the Mississippi product continues to garner respect nationwide by being named to the Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Watch-List as one of the top point guards in the country.
THAT'S OUR MADI
Scott has already garnered acclaim throughout the conference as the 2020-21 SEC Freshman of the year and continues to heading into her junior season.
The McDonalds All-American picked up SEC preseason honors, earning a spot on the Second Team All-SEC in the coaches poll.
ANYONE NEED A DIME?
One of the most prolific passers in the conference, Myah Taylor drops dimes at a rate like no other. The Mississippi native led the conference last season with an average of 5.5 assists per game and ranked 19th nationally.
Taylor currently sits at 460 career assists and is 40 away from hitting the 500 mark.
FRESH FACES TO THE BENCH
New faces are abundant for the Rebels on the court, but can be seen on the bench as well with the addition of assistant coaches Bojan Jankovic and Jaida Williams with both joining Ole Miss during the offseason.
The two carry an abundance of basketball knowledge, with Jankovic coming to Oxford from Louisiana Tech and Williams joining the Rebels following a head coaching stint at Coastal Carolina.
Bojan Jankovic
•Boasts over 25 years of coaching experience throughout college and the international circuit
•Earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics as an assistant coach with the Serbian Women's National Team
•Spent the last three seasons as an assistant at Louisiana Tech, tutoring LA Tech post players
•Previous stops include, Wyoming, Oral Roberts, Centenary, University of the Ozarks and Texas A&M Commerce
Jaida Williams
•Joined the Rebels following nine seasons at the helm of Coastal Carolina
•Led the Chanticleers to a program record 25 victories in 2019-20 and was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year
•Carried the Chanticleers to its first posteason appearance, accepting an invitation to play in the 2019 Women's Basketball Invitational
• Prior stops include stints as an assistant coach at Wake Forest, UC Santa Barbara, and South Florida
BACK IN THE DANCE
Following a 15-year drought, the Rebels once again found themselves back in the national conversation with their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2007, for the program's 18th overall.
With its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance, Ole Miss is one of 37 programs nationally to make 18 or more trips to the dance.
SIXTH WOMAN UP
One of the best sparks off the bench in the SEC, Angel Baker's impact was validated with the senior earning the SEC's Sixth Woman of the Year award.
With the honor, Baker became the first Rebel to earn the award.
Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole Miss WBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on Twitter at @YolettMcCuin.
Comments
Post a Comment