Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Falls on the Road in Heartbreaking Fashion to Alabama, 64-63

TUSCALOOSA — In a hard-fought game, the Ole Miss Rebels fell in Tuscaloosa, 64-63, in a game that truly came down to the very last possession. 

The leading scorer for the Rebels was Cotie McMahon with 22 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Christeen Iwuala tallied yet another double-double with 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Latasha Lattimore also notched a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, reaching 1,000 career points in the game. Sira Thienou recorded 13 points and seven rebounds. 

While there was a very questionable call against Ole Miss to end the game, that wasn’t the reason the Rebels lost. Ten missed free-throws cost Ole Miss.  In order to have a good chance on the road, you need to consistently make those, and they just did not do that Thursday night.

Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin tweeted as much after the game.

Proud of my team man! We missed 10 FT’s and you just can’t miss those on the road. We’re excited to get back home after being on the road 9 days. Hope to see our fans show up Thursday at home! 💙❤️ Thanks to everyone that came to the game and cheered us on! #NoCeilings

— Coach Yo (@YolettMcCuin) February 6, 2026

Alabama struck first after a tipoff went out of bounds, giving the Tide the ball. To start the game, the Rebel defense played really well as they were able to stop Alabama. McMahon struck first for Ole Miss to get them on the board. The offense as a whole struggled for most of the first quarter, until the end. 

The game was moving at a lightning pace, with both teams sprinting up and down the court, creating a bit of a disadvantage to the Rebels with their signature switch defense they run. The lead grew to six, but that really wasn’t so bad as they were down six while playing sloppily, suffering five turnovers in the first alone. The lead was four for Alabama heading into the second quarter.

The game was quickly tied by Ole Miss, as the Rebs made shots fast to accomplish that, while Alabama started the second quarter very cold. McMahon subbed out of the game and the Ole Miss offense struggled a little, but the defense stayed the same, locking down the Tide. 

Only when McMahon came back in the game did Alabama score their first point of the quarter. The pace slowed down until the end of the half when it picked back up again. Lattimore made a shot to surpass 1,000 career points, a remarkable achievement for any player. The Rebels went into the half up 28-25 with momentum on their side. 

Ole Miss began the second half flying up and down the court, keeping their advantage. Early on, Alabama tried to slow the game down, but that was very unsuccessful as the Rebel offense was rolling early. 

The Ole Miss advantage was pushed until a technical foul on McMahon squashed momentum. The Rebels were able to hold onto their lead for the majority of the quarter. Alabama tie the game late in the third and then took the lead to go into the fourth with a one-point advantage, 48-47.

With all eyes turned to the fourth quarter, everything was within the Rebels’ grasp. The beginning of the fourth was a foul-fest, as both teams were fouling consistently. Back and forth lead changes kept the game very exciting, and with a fast and physical pace, it was clear this game would come down to the wire. 

Iwuala stepped up as she notched yet another double-double. McMahon finally got back on the board midway through the fourth. The game came down to the wire as a questionable foul on McMahon gave Alabama the ball back with the lead and they just dribbled out the clock, winning the game 64-63.

Interesting stat: In somewhat poetic fashion, Ole Miss had one less shot than the Tide, attempting 59 to their 60.

What’s Next

Ole Miss returns next week to play their first game in the SJB Pavilion since the ice storm. The game is set for Thursday, February 12 at 8 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network.