Ole Miss women’s basketball falls to Tennessee, 65-51
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss women’s basketball team dropped its third conference game Thursday night in a 65-51 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, TN.
The Rebels now sit at 7-3 in the conference, but they remain in fourth, behind Tennessee, No. 3 LSU, and No. 1 South Carolina. The win for Tennessee snapped its two-game losing streak.
Postgame, head coach Yolett-McPhee McCuin said that there was no offensive scheme that beat them. It was strictly toughness.
“Tonight was just a tale of toughness. I thought we got out-toughed.”
Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on the loss to the Vols
Coach Yo mentioned at her press conference Wednesday afternoon that offensive rebounds would be a deciding factor in the game. Both teams entered the game even for the season in that stat category. Tonight, Tennessee outrebounded the Rebels on the offensive boards, 19-12. The 19 offensive rebounds led to 17 second-chance points versus only four from the Rebels.
“The offensive rebounds, the 50-50 balls, I swear they keep me up at night. Luckily, we have a game on Sunday, and I can just get over it and focus on that.”
Coach Yo
Turnovers were also in favor of the Volunteers, as the Rebels gave the ball away 16 times to Tennessee’s ten. The turnovers led to 15 points for the Volunteers.
“A lot of our wounds were self-inflicted,” McPhee-McCuin said. “Just not us being tough.”
The Rebels’ defense played well enough to win, as they held the Volunteers to 36% shooting, which ended up being the worse of the two teams. They gave up 28 points in the first half, but the offense was not able to capitalize on the opportunities created by the defense.
This was a big talking point for Coach Yo to her team after the game.
“My message to them was that I just hate that we didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. I hate that.”
Coach Yo
The Rebels’ leading scorer was guard Angel Baker with 14 points. The only other Rebel in double-figures was guard Marquesha Davis, who recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Baker came off the bench, and Coach Yo said that it was strictly a coach’s decision.
As a team, the Rebels shot 37% from the floor, but they took 17 fewer shots than the Volunteers. The game was also the second in a row where the Rebels made only one three-point shot (1-9), which was responsible for tonight by guard Ayanna Thompson.
Up Next
The Rebels (18-5, 7-3 SEC) will look to protect home court this Sunday against the Florida Gators. Tipoff at the SJB Pavilion in Oxford is set for 3 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
(Feature image photo credit: 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!
