Lady Rebels renew rivalry on hardcourt

Posted on Feb 14 2013 - 7:00am by Lacey Russell

The Ole Miss women’s basketball team looks for a win over in-state rival Mississippi State tonight at the Tad Smith Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

File Photo (Tanner Marquis) The women’s basketball team huddles up before a game

File Photo (Tanner Marquis)
The women’s basketball team huddles up before a game

Ole Miss welcomes in-state rival Mississippi State to Oxford tonight, marking the second meeting this season between the Lady Rebels (8-15, 1-9 SEC) and the Lady Bulldogs (11-12, 3-7 SEC).

It features a matchup of two teams with first-year head coaches who are trying to gain some momentum in their respective rebuilding seasons.
Mississippi State is coming off a road victory against Missouri, a team that Ole Miss lost to in overtime earlier this season.

Ole Miss is on a four-game losing streak, including most recently, a road loss to 12th-ranked Tennessee.
When Ole Miss and Mississippi State met in Starkville on Jan. 27, the Lady Bulldogs came away with a 72-57 victory. Since the meeting, Mississippi State is 2-1, while Ole Miss is 0-3.
The Lady Bulldogs are led by sophomore center Martha Alwal, who averages a double-double – 12.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game — and sophomore guard Kendra Grant, who averages 12.3 points per game.
The Lady Rebels are led in scoring by junior guard Diara Moore and sophomore forward Tia Faleru.

Moore has scored in double figures in 17 of the 23 games played this season, while Faleru leads the team with 12.0 points per game.

Junior point guard Valencia McFarland, one of three Lady Rebels who averages in double digits with 11.0 points per game, also averages a team-high 5.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game.
Tonight, as part of I Love Ole Miss week, fans will receive T-shirts and a chance to win many prizes for Valentine’s Day.
The game will tip off at 7 p.m. from Tad Smith Coliseum.

For continuing coverage of Ole Miss women’s basketball, follow @JLgrindin and @thedmsports on Twitter.