Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Dominates Arkansas in Fayetteville with 89-50 Win

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – (Release) Ole Miss women’s basketball established itself as a national powerhouse with an 89-50 rout over Arkansas on Thursday evening at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.

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The Rebels (17-7, 8-4 SEC) exploded for their best game against an SEC opponent this season with its 39-point victory. Ole Miss has now bested Arkansas (9-18, 2-10 SEC) in the past five games of the series. The Rebels held Arkansas to its worst scoring performance of the year and its second-biggest loss in SEC play thus far. 

Madison Scott recorded her 30th career double-double and second of the season. In five games against the Razorbacks, Scott has now recorded four double-doubles to lead the Rebels to five wins. Scott led the team with 11 rebounds, while also dropping 10 points.

The Rebels have recorded 30-plus point victories in back-to-back meetings with the Razorbacks. In the 50 games between them, it’s the fourth time Ole Miss has outscored Arkansas by at least 30.

The Rebels effectively eliminated the Razorback’s 3-point shooting, holding them to making only two threes in 22 attempts. Opposite Arkansas, Ole Miss’ 10 3-pointers is the most by a Rebel squad since Feb. 28, 2020, against Tennessee. Tameiya Sadler and KK Deans drained three each to lead the team.

Sadler paced the team in scoring for her first time as a Rebel, dropping a season-high 17 points. She made seven field goals off the bench, while hauling in five rebounds and three assists. Deans and Kennedy Todd-Williams joined Sadler and Scott in double figures with 15 and 10, respectively. Deans made her first start in SEC play this season and didn’t disappoint, leading the team with five assists.

Ole Miss recorded 50-plus rebounds for a second-straight game. Additionally, the Rebels have outrebounded opponents by at least 20 in back-to-back matchups. Ole Miss’ ferocious offense allowed only two Arkansas steals, which is the fewest allowed by the Rebels against an SEC opponent this season.

All 14 active Rebels got an opportunity to play against Arkansas, with 13 of them contributing to the scoreboard with at least one point. Seven Rebels set season-highs in points, assists and/or rebounds. In total, Ole Miss recorded eight instances of season best performances in statistical categories.

Ole Miss secured a pair of steals in the first five minutes of the game, which helped the team go on a 9-0 run over a three-minute span. Scott had a fire ignited on the boards in the first quarter, leading the team with six in the quarter. It’s the most by any Rebel in a single quarter this season. The Rebels had a second run of six unanswered points after the media timeout, holding the Razorbacks without a field goal for the final five minutes of the first. On the flip side, Ole Miss made six of its last eight shots of the quarter to lead, 20-11, entering the second. 

Ole Miss’ scoring onslaught continued into the second, where the Rebels had an 11-0 run midway through. Scott epitomized Ole Miss’ first half trends after blocking an Arkansas 3-point attempt, collecting her eighth rebound of the half, and converting on the fastbreak attempt to force Arkansas to call a timeout.

Ole Miss closed the half on a 23-4 run, highlighted by back-to-back threes by Sadler to close the half. Sadler led the Rebels with 13 first half points and a trio of threes to tie a career-best in a game. Scott secured her 10th rebound of the game in the second quarter, becoming the first Rebel to secure double-figure rebounds in a single half this season. On the opposite end of the court, Ole Miss forced Arkansas’ all-star Izzy Higginbottom to miss 10 field goals in the first half, as the Razorbacks failed to reach double-figure field goals as a team.

The Rebel’s defensive wall held strong to open the second half with a 48-23 lead. Arkansas went scoreless for another three-minute span midway through the quarter, as it committed four turnovers in the final half of the quarter. Meanwhile, Sira Thienou and Todd-Williams led the Rebels on a 10-0 run to further the lead. The Rebels outscored the Razorbacks, 23-10, in the third quarter, allowing the fewest single quarter points of the game for Arkansas.

With a 30-plus lead entering the fourth, Ole Miss put its reserves in to gain valuable gametime experience. Fatumata Djaló, who scored a field goal in the second quarter, made her second of the day in the fourth to earn a career high. Mariyah Noel and Deans added the ninth and 10th 3-pointers of the game to the Rebel stat line, while Heloisa Carrera, Ayanna Thompson and Rhema Collins each scored a bucket to solidify the final score, 89-50.

Ole Miss will return to the road for its final away game of February when it heads north to Knoxville to face No. 15/16 Tennessee. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CT and will be broadcast on SEC Network.