Ole Miss women defeat Vandy, 65-60
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss women’s basketball squad received a sweet treat on Valentine’s night in Oxford, defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores, 65-60.
(Click here for box score.)
After a tough, five-game stretch through a treacherous SEC slate, the ladies rebounded and earned a win against Vanderbilt at home in The Pavilion.
Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin talks with media after the win over Vandy. (Video: Archie Breland, The Rebel Walk)
Crystal Allen notched 23 points and Shandricka Sessom tallied 18, putting the Rebels (9-16, 3-8 Southeastern Conference) in contention late in the 3rd quarter of play.
La’Karis Salter, who scored 17 points, perfectly exemplified the grit and determination Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin expects from her team. The redshirt senior brought the Rebels back from a three-point deficit via two huge shots from downtown that gave Ole Miss the lead.
The shot that eventually put the game away came from the hand of Allen—a three-ball from the far corner that secured the 65-60 Rebel victory.
Although Ole Miss was able to control the tempo throughout most of the first half, Vanderbilt was able to make plenty of plays, especially in the paint, making Ole Miss really fight for what is now the Rebels’ third SEC victory.
“We really needed the win,” Coach Yo said after the game. “We want to try and get a first-round bye (in the SEC tournament),” she added.
The effort Ole Miss displayed late in the fourth quarter, despite multiple attempts by Vanderbilt to put the Rebels away, goes to show the impact Coach Yo is having on her young, inexperienced team.
“We fought,” Coach Yo explained when asked what helped her team come back and get the victory.
“... I thought there was a point where we wanted it more.”
Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on the win over Vandy
Next Up:
Ole Miss will now travel to Athens, Georgia to take on the Bulldogs (14-10) on Monday as the Rebels try to take their second SEC game in a row. The game is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. (CT) tip and will be televised on the SEC Network.
Crystal Allen talks about her game after scoring 23 points against Vandy. (Video: Archie Breland, The Rebel Walk)
Archie Breland
Archie has been an Ole Miss fanatic since day one. Born in Denver, Colorado, he has a passion for everything Ole Miss and loves to be part of the great gameday experience. He is currently a freshman at the University of Mississippi and is studying the field of Journalism and Law. Archie played football in high school and also has extensive knowledge of all things college athletics.
