Coming off of a huge victory against Tennessee, the Lady Rebels hoped to continue their winning streak against Vanderbilt. The Lady Commodores proved to be a tough opponent early and kept the match close from tip to finish.
Coach Yo’s Lady Rebels opened up the game completely out of sorts, largely due to Vanderbilt’s choice to slow down the pace of the game early. The Lady Rebels, who are used to a much faster style of play, struggled on offense early in the game and resorted to their defense to keep them in the match. Luckily, a quick score by Senior guard Marquesha Davis just before the half ignited the team to come out of the break with a different energy.
Despite what was overall a rough scoring night, the Lady Rebels managed to produce a second-half surge to squeeze out a win. With this victory, Ole Miss moves to 16-5 on the season and notches a number two ranking in the SEC poll.
Davis was once again a force for the Lady Rebels in the scoring category. The senior guard from Mcgehee, Ark., totaled 25 points on 16 shots. Davis has now notched 20 or more points in each of her past three games.
If Davis can continue her hot streak into her next game, the Lady Rebels could have an opportunity to grab the number one spot in the conference rankings.
However, turnovers have haunted Ole Miss all season long and these woes continued against Vanderbilt. The Lady Rebels committed 18 turnovers to Vanderbilt’s 16, these numbers must be sliced in half if Ole Miss wants any chance at competing for the SEC Championship.
Rebounding was an entirely different story as the Lady Rebels dominated the boards all night. Senior forward Tyia Singleton led all players with 11 rebounds, which were essential in helping Ole Miss finally pull away from Vanderbilt.
The Lady Rebels will have their hands full this weekend as they close out their road stretch, with a matchup against South Carolina that may very well be a preview of an SEC Tournament game. Ole Miss Women’s Basketball will travel to Columbia, South Carolina to take on the #1 Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday, Feb 4 at 1:00 p.m..
Coverage will be available on ESPN2 and play-by-play will be available on 105.1 FM.