In front of a record crowd of 8,088 fans, the Ole Miss women’s basketball team picked up an 89-41 win over Jackson State. The win gives Ole Miss its 800th all-time program win and moves Ole Miss to a perfect 5-0 at the Pavilion at Ole Miss this season.
Ole Miss (6-1) had a fairly balanced score sheet with 10 players making their way into the scoring book with Shandricka Sessom (Byhalia) leading the way with her second double-double of the season with a team-best 18 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Bretta Hart (Poplarville) also recorded her second career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
In total, five Rebels reached double figures– marking the second time this season Ole Miss has had five players in double figures. It also marked the first time in the Insell era in which Ole Miss had two double-doubles in the same contest.
Holding a commanding 54-22 lead at halftime, Ole Miss kept the pedal to the metal in the second half, scoring 35 points and holding the visiting Lady Tigers to just 19 points in the second half, including just three in the fourth quarter on just 7.7 percent shooting in the final frame.
Ole Miss finished the game shooting 50 percent (36-of-69) and snagged a season-best 58 rebounds, after being out-rebounded in its last two contests. The Ole Miss reserves were phenomenal against the Lady Tigers, scoring 50 points. The Rebels had three players in double figures off the bench led by 14 from sophomore Alissa Alston (New Haven, Connecticut), while Shelby Gibson (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) and Hart added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Both teams started slow from the floor, but Ole Miss got into the groove of things midway through the half behind six unanswered points from Gibson. The Rebels jumped out to a 10-1 lead at the first media timeout, a lead they wouldn’t give up the entire contest. Jackson State got its first field goal at the 3:51 mark of the first stanza, but Ole Miss’ offense was good, if not great, in the first quarter. The home team shot 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the floor in the first half and was led by a trio of players with six points. The Rebels didn’t slow down in the second frame and tacked on 26 second-quarter points, en route to a 54-22 half time lead.
From the coach
On the win…
“They came out and played really hard. I’m real proud of them for that. We played really well. They were 3-1 on the season. We got after it and got after them, forced them into 20 turnovers. We turned it over 20 times, which is something I don’t like, but we’ll fix that. But that’s playing a lot of players. Everybody got a chance to play, and now it’s time to turn our focus to Sunday.”
“It can be as good as we want it to be. When we’re locked in, we’re pretty darn good defensively, and that’s a big part of it. That’s something I’m real proud of. We still have room to improve defensively. We’re going to get there eventually, but we’re further along than we’ve been in the past. The goal as always with my teams is to be ready in January. And we’re right on track to be ready in January.”
Rebel Sidelines
-Ole Miss used its third lineup of the season with freshman Kate Rodgers getting her first career start. Rodgers becomes the first Ole Miss freshman to get a start this season.
-Ole Miss set a new single-game record for attendance with 8,088 fans, which is the most fans to ever see an Ole Miss women’s basketball game. The previous record was 7,407, a mark set last season versus Mississippi Valley State.
-With the win, Ole Miss picks up its 800th program win, becoming one of just six SEC schools with 800 all-time wins.
-Ole Miss’ 6-1 start equals the best start for the Rebels under Matt Insell. Ole Miss was 6-1 to open the 2014-2015 season.
-Ole Miss had five players in double figures for the second time this season. Ole Miss also had five in double figures against Jacksonville State.
-Ole Miss has now kept opponents to single digits in 12 of the 28 quarters of basketball this season.
-For the first time in the Insell era, Ole Miss had two players record double-doubles.
-Alissa Alston posted a career-high seven assists in the contest.
Up Next
Ole Miss hits the road for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Rebels will travel to Morgantown, West Virginia, to take on West Virginia. Tip is set for 3:00 p.m. Central time from West Virginia’s WVU Coliseum.
