After splitting its first two games of the season, the Ole Miss women’s basketball team will fly more than 4,000 miles to participate in the Rainbow Wahine Classic this weekend in Honolulu, Hawaii. The tournament begins Friday and concludes Sunday.
The Rebels (1-1) the tournament Friday at 8:30 p.m. against a tough Mountaineer squad that is ranked 33rd in the nation. In its first game, West Virginia dropped a nail-biter to Ohio State 70-61. West Virginia returns three of its top-four scorers from a year ago, when they finished 17-14. This game will be the Rebels’ biggest test thus far in the young season.
Impact Player — Ole Miss: Senior point guard Valencia McFarland must bounce back after turning the ball over three times and missing her last four shots against Central Arkansas last Sunday. McFarland must be the leading catalyst for the Rebels if they want to come out positive in this tournament.
Impact Player — West Virginia: Senior point guard Christal Caldwell was an All-Big 12 First Team member last season. After being eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament a season ago, expect Caldwell to be one of the best point guards in the country this season.
Lady Rebs play host school Hawaii Saturday
Home team Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (1-1) have expectations to win this tournament in their home state. A year ago, the Warriors finished 17-14 and fell in the first round of the Women’s NIT. The Rebels face another team with a talented frontcourt that could cause problems like Central Arkansas did. The game tips off at 6:30 p.m.
Impact Player — Ole Miss: Junior forward Tia Faleru is off to a good start to the season averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds through two games. However, Faleru will have to continue this pace, as she is the only Rebel close to averaging a double-double. As long as she can stay out of foul trouble, the Rebels shouldn’t be worried on the inside.
Impact Player — Hawaii: Senior center Kamilah Jackson led the Warriors with 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds last season. Her effort awarded her a spot on the All-Big West first team. Jackson is again leading her team in scoring and rebounding through two games this season. The matchup against Faleru should be a fun one to watch inside.
Ole Miss, Washington State face off Sunday
Last season was a tough season for the Washington State Lady Cougars (1-1), who finished 11-20 out of the PAC-12 conference. The Cougars return its four leading scorers from a season ago. Guards Lia Galdeira and Tia Presley will be a tough backcourt matchup against McFarland and company. Ole Miss’ tournament finale will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Impact Player — Ole Miss: Senior shooting guard Diara Moore needs to step up if she and McFarland want to keep up with these high-scoring guards. This season, Moore is doing a little of everything, averaging 7.5 points, four rebounds and two assists. Coach Matt Insell is going to need double-digit scoring from Moore if Ole Miss is going to keep up with the Cougars.
Impact Player — Washington State: Sophomore shooting guard Lia Galdeira returns as the seventh-leading scorer in the Pac-12 from a season ago with 14.8 points per game. Along with her running mate, Presley, this will be a tough backcourt to keep up with for the Rebels. The Rebels must match these guards in scoring and keep them from running in transition in order to compete in this game.
For continuing coverage of Ole Miss women’s basketball, follow @browningstubbs and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
— Browning Stubbs
bbstubbs@go.olemiss.edu
