Ole Miss Picks up Eighth Straight Win, Edges Cincinnati 75-63
CINCINNATI, Ohio. – It was an all-around effort Sunday as Ole Miss grinded out its eighth straight win, defeating Cincinnati 75-63 Sunday afternoon from Fifth Third Arena.
Ole Miss (8-1) begins its season with its best start since 2005 and a 2-0 start on the road. The Rebels eight straight wins tie the second longest streak in the country.
For the fifth straight game, Madison Scott finished in double figures with 18 points, while Destiny Salary had herself a day with a career-high 15 points and eight rebounds.
As a squad, Ole Miss shot at a blistering 53.7 percent clip from the field, while finding a home in the paint with 46 points coming from the inside. The Rebels were able to capitalize off of the Bearcats 23 turnovers, returning them for 28 points.
On the defensive end, Austin posted her fifth straight multi-block game with a season-high of five blocks and added eight points.
The Rebels came out ready to battle against Cincinnati (4-4), hitting their first five shots of the game to take a 12-10 lead midway through the first. Ole Miss found itself struggling to convert, as Cincinnati held the Rebels back as they took off on a 12-2 run to tighten things up. The Rebels gave up the most points in a first quarter this season to find themselves trailing 21-18 through one.
Donnetta Johnson provided a lift off the bench in her season debut scoring five points in the second, as Ole Miss retook its lead as it began to heat up with three straight buckets. This began an 8-2 run to end the half, going up 36-31 heading into the locker room.
Ole Miss worked to pad its lead in the third quarter, yet the Bearcats charged back with eight straight points to pull within two at 53-51 with ten minutes left to play.
The fight was on as Ole Miss held strong with three straight baskets to build back its lead at 59-55 and regain control. The Rebels never looked back utilizing a 12-2 run to hold the Bearcats at bay to pick up the 75-63 win.
The Rebels enjoy a short break before heading back out on the road to take on Hofstra next Saturday (Dec. 10). Ole Miss faces off against the Pride on FloHoops at 1 p.m. CT.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
