Senior Taylor Manuel goes up for a shot against Texas A&M center Khalif Hillman. Manuel finished the game with 10 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists. Rebels defeated the Aggies 62-49.
Ole Miss handled Texas A&M on senior night to improve to 6-10 in SEC play and 17-12 overall. Three Rebels scored in double figures: seniors Shequila Joseph and Taylor Manuel had 11 and 10, respectively, while Shandricka Sessom pitched in 13 to lead the Rebs in the final home game of the season.
The first half was a tale of two quarters. Ole Miss started out hitting 3-4 from behind the arc in the first quarter. However, the Rebels could not hit any of the four threes they attempted in the second quarter, going 2-11 overall from the field. Free throws were also a problem for Ole Miss in the opening half, only shooting 6-17 from the line, which was good for 35 percent.
“We got the same shots in the second quarter that we got in the first quarter,” head coach Matt Insell said. “We just didn’t make any in the second quarter, missed a lot of layups, a lot of gimmes, a lot of free throws.”
Ole Miss was getting it done on the defensive end, though, and it was the reason why the Rebels took a 23-20 lead into halftime.
The Aggies were held to their lowest offensive output of all time in SEC play by the Rebels, scoring only 49 points in the game. Ole Miss’ defensive effort is even more impressive, considering it surrendered 100 at Missouri earlier in the week.
“Great win,” Insell said. “Great win for our program to beat a team like Texas A&M.”
Seniors Taylor Manuel and Erika Sisk were huge factors in the game, though it may not show in the box score. Manuel started off 0-8 from the field but made her last five shots, finishing with 10 points. Sisk was a big boost for the Rebels, taking charges and playing tough defense throughout the game. She finished with nine points and six assists.
“Offensively, we got everything we wanted,” Insell said. “We had a low quarter in the second quarter. We just missed easy shots.”
Ole Miss went to a full-court press in the second half, which completely changed the game. The Rebels forced 15 Texas A&M turnovers in the second half. The defense seemingly boosted confidence on the offensive side, as well. Ole Miss shot lights out in the fourth quarter, going 9-11 from the field and 3-4 from behind the arc.
“That was our whole point– make someone that isn’t used to handling the ball handle the ball,” Insell said. “We did that, and we got the win.”
