Thomas Graning | The Daily Mississippian
LSU forward Theresa Plaisance (55) blocks a shot by Mississippi guard Gracie Frizzell (12) during the second half of Sunday’s game.
The Rebels scratched. The Rebels clawed. But they were unable to pull the upset against No. 15 LSU on Sunday, as the Tigers took down Ole Miss, 66-56.
“We were prepared to beat them. We had a chance to beat them. We just didn’t make the plays we had to make,” Ole Miss head coach Matt Insell said. “We had opportunities at the rim and outside shots. They just didn’t fall down the stretch.”
After falling behind by 11 points at the 13:02 mark in the first half, the Rebels rallied back to take a 3-point halftime lead.
“We played great the first 36 minutes of the game,” senior guard Diara Moore said. “We just couldn’t get those few rebounds and stops down the stretch.”
Ultimately, it was LSU center and WNBA Draft prospect Theresa Plaisance who led the Tigers to a victory. Plaisance finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
“We did a good job of getting the ball inside. It is a testament to our guards who made the right pass,” Plaisance said. “Ole Miss is definitely a team to compete with. You can never count them out. Coach Insell has come in and done a great job with this group of girls. You can see the turnaround with the presence that he’s made.”
Ole Miss had three double-digit scorers with senior point guard Valencia McFarland scoring 10 points, junior forward Tia Faleru scoring 12 points and Moore adding 17 points in the effort. Plaisance’s presence made it very tough for the Rebels to score. Ole Miss was out-rebounded 45-29, and LSU scored 46 points in the paint compared to 28 for the Rebels.
Before the Mississippi State game, Insell told the team that he wanted them to win six of the next 11 games. Now, they are 1-1 to begin the final 11-game SEC schedule.
“I told the girls that we need to have a winning record in the league for the rest of the season if we are going to have a chance to play in the postseason or the NIT,” Insell said.
Down the stretch, the Rebels couldn’t buy a bucket. With 3:44 to play, Ole Miss trailed 57-56. The Rebels missed their final six shots and gave up seven rebounds to the Tigers.
“We’re not letting anything defeat us,” Insell said. “We’re going to play to the final buzzer. We’re going to play tough. We may lose some of these close games. But eventually, we’re going to break though and win some.”
For continuing coverage of Ole Miss women’s basektball, follow @browningstubbs and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
