Ole Miss women’s basketball opens season with 72-60 victory over Kennesaw State
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss women’s basketball team opened its season Monday with a 72-60 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls.
The Rebels finished with four players in double figures, including 18 points from their leading scorer Angel Baker. The other three in double figures were Madison Scott (16 pts), Snudda Collins (15 pts), and Destiny Salary (11 pts).
The team’s aggressiveness was apparent, as the Rebels outscored the Owls 40-24 in the paint and attempted 11 more free throws, leading to an eight-point differential at the stripe.
Coach Yo’s team started off slow, but she attributed that to the newness of her team.
“This is a new group figuring a lot of things out,” McPhee-McCuin said postgame. “I think with this group, we are just going to fly this plane as it goes.”
The Rebels shot 43% for the game, and, after the slow first half, shot 57% in the 3rd quarter alone. While the three-point shooting was not prominent for the Rebels (2-12), they played to the flow of the game.
“This was just not a game where we had to settle for the three. We only shot 12 because we were able to be aggressive and get to the basket. That is going to be our identity.”
Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin
Being that this is the season-opener, Coach Yo is taking this game with a grain of salt as she knows the team will grow out of the newness.
“There is not going to be much overreaction from me,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We are going to have to fix things quickly. Everything I expected, they showed, good and bad.”
Junior forward Madison Scott saw the scoring distribution as a great aspect of the win today.
“We just want to feed each other confidence. Tonight was a good preview of what more is to come.”
Madison Scott
The newness of the team was apparent to Scott, one of the veterans. She said it took until the beginning of the third quarter for her team to settle down.
“There was nervousness throughout the game,” Scott said. “We are a new group. We are still working. We are still learning each other. I am just glad we got the win.”
Next Up:
The Rebels take the floor at the SJB Pavilion Thursday against Southeast Missouri State at 6pm. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
(Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Women’s Basketball)
Trevor Terminie
Trevor is a senior at Ole Miss pursuing a degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Sports Communication and Promotion. He has previous experience covering sports for another site, including a variety of Ole Miss sports. Growing up in New Orleans, La., he has the Pelicans and Saints running through his blood. He also grew up in an LSU family, but his love for Ole Miss continues to grow. Trevor hopes to cover sports back in his hometown after college. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
