Ole Miss women’s basketball upsets No. 1-seed Stanford to advance to NCAA Sweet 16
STANFORD – The No. 8-seed Ole Miss women’s basketball team provided the upset of the 2023 NCAA Tournament Sunday night in a wire-to-wire 54-49 victory over No. 1-seed Stanford at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California.
The win advances the Rebels to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007. It also sealed the first loss by a one-seed in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament since Duke in 2009. The Rebels will now face the winner of four-seed Texas and five-seed Louisville this Friday.
In the first half, Ole Miss set its defensive tone from the opening tip. The Rebel defense held Stanford to 38% shooting while only giving up one three-pointer. They forced 12 Cardinal turnovers, leading to 10 points. Moreover, even though Stanford recorded eight blocks, the Rebels blocked five shots of their own.
The defense was at its best in the second quarter, as the Rebels gave up a mere seven points. Stanford did not score a point in the last 6:28 of the first half. During that stretch, Ole Miss forced five turnovers and eight missed shots.
On offense, Angel Baker established her presence in the first quarter, leading all scorers in the opening frame with seven points. She would finish the first half with nine points.
The Rebels stayed hot from downtown with five made three-pointers, including three from freshman guard Ayanna Thompson off the bench.
How about a HUGE FIVE-POINT SWING!!? NOTHIN’ BUT HUSTLE, TAYLOR TO THOMPSON!! pic.twitter.com/JbaiGRZNht
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) March 20, 2023
Thompson matched Baker in scoring in the first half with nine points. They attempted 14 more shots than the Cardinal in the half because of 12 offensive rebounds, compared to only two from Stanford.
The stifling defense combined with a hot three-point offense allowed Ole Miss to take a commanding 29-20 lead into halftime. The nine-point deficit was Stanford’s largest halftime deficit of the season. They had only trailed at halftime in four games during the regular season, with three of those games ending in losses.
The third quarter was much of the same for the Rebel defense, holding the Cardinal to 3-15 shooting. They forced four more turnovers, leading to nine points. Ole Miss extended its halftime lead to 13, 38-25, with just over five minutes to go in the third, but a 10-4 run by the Cardinal cut the lead to seven, 42-35, heading into the fourth.
The Cardinal came out swinging to start the fourth, cutting the Rebel lead to three within the first minute-and-a-half. An Angel Baker and Madison Scott-led 5-0 run extended the Rebel lead to eight, but Stanford responded with an 8-0 run to tie the game at 49 with 1:16 remaining.
The Rebel defense became stifling once again to finish the game by not giving up another point the rest of the way, forcing three turnovers along the way. Clutch free-throws by Scott, Marquesha Davis, and Myah Taylor sealed the historic upset win for the Rebels.
ICE. WATER. IN. HER. VEINS. pic.twitter.com/HBHBxw9GYG
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) March 20, 2023
By the numbers
Three Rebels finished in double-figures in what was a slugfest on the offensive end for both teams. Baker led the Rebels with 13 points on 5-18 shooting. Davis tacked on 12 points with four rebounds, while Scott finished with 11 points, shooting 5-6 from the free throw line.
Overall, Ole Miss shot 30% from the field and did not make a three-pointer in the entire second half. However, an 11-14 performance from the free throw line proved to be the difference late in the game.
Defensively, the Rebels held Stanford to 33% shooting for the game and 27 points below its per game scoring average. They also forced 21 turnovers, leading to 24 points. Outsized, the Rebels outrebounded the Cardinal 44-39 and 20-13 on the offensive boards.
Rebel head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin was extremely emotional for her team and program after the win.
“To be in a situation right now to take down a historic program like Stanford is incredible,” McPhee-McCuin said postgame. “I am incredibly grateful to be in this position. I told my team that I love them so much, I don’t want to stop having this feeling.”
The defense was the standout once again for the Rebels, and Coach Yo was elated that her defense was able to close out the game as opposed to a struggling offense.
“We knew that Stanford’s size and length would be a little problematic for us. But, we also know that we defend. I know a lot of people talk about that Ole Miss is aggressive, but they don’t give enough credit to how disciplined we are defensively, especially when we lock in. Honestly, when I realized that we needed to get a stop to win the game, I had far more peace than having to score on the other end to win the game because that is who we are. We have won tons of games by having to get a stop, and our team just felt like we could do it.”
Coach Yo on the Rebels’ defense
Coach Yo said that taking down the all-time winningest coach in women’s basketball history in Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer was special for her personally.
“How cool is it to take down someone that you admire,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I admire Tara. I will never forget this.”
Angel Baker said that the schedule they faced this season allowed them to be prepared to beat a powerhouse program.
“We have been battle-tested all year. We have fallen short, and it was finally our time to step into that moment and come out on top. I feel like we walked in with confidence and knew who we were from the jump.”
Angel Baker on the win
Madison Scott said that the confidence to make free throws down the stretch to seal the game came from her coaches.
“She told us that when we got to the line to be composed and knock them down. That is key on the road. In an environment like this and the fans going crazy, we wanted to win. We didn’t want to go home. It is just the work that we put in.”
Madison Scott
Baker also said that the defense down the stretch and the entire game was true to the team’s overall identity.
“We defend, to say the least.“
Angel Baker
Coach Yo said that they will take plenty of time to celebrate this win before they find out who they will face in the Sweet 16.
“We are about to party like it’s 1999. Tomorrow, we will party again. We will all watch Texas and Louisville together to see who we are going to play, then we will get right back to work. When we win, we party, and then we let it go. I think they deserve that.”
Coach Yo after the win over Stanford
She also said that the team’s expectations have skyrocketed because of the upset while hoping that her team can continue to make noise in the NCAA Tournament.
“If we could get over this hump, beating a No. 1 team, boy, there is no telling what we can do.“
Coach Yo
“We’re going to Seattle. I love Seattle. Let’s go.” pic.twitter.com/whXwxlSWIL
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) March 20, 2023
Up Next
The Rebels will now head to Seattle for a Sweet 16 matchup against either Texas or Louisville. Tipoff time and TV information will be released with the conclusion of the second round.
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
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!
