Ruby DraayerThe Ole Miss Women’s Basketball team wasn’t able to recover after a hot start from Mississippi State and fell in Starkville 59-70.
Earlier this season, Ole Miss dominated the Bulldogs on all accounts at the Pavillion in Oxford. It was the first time the Rebels walked away with a win against their in-state rival since 2014. Ole Miss cruised to a 86-71 win in January and had plans to sweep the series this weekend. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs had other plans. The rivalry was split this season after an offensive showdown from both teams, with Ole Miss shooting 38.6% while the Bulldogs shot 49.1%
On Sunday night, the Rebels struggled to find a rhythm as well as stop a hungry Mississippi State offense.
At tipoff, both teams were able to exchange points back and forth before State took off on a 7-0 lead, bringing the score to 22-14.
Mississippi State widened the gap early after a hot start on offense. The Bulldogs hit 49% of their shots from the field and 50% from outside the arc.
Shakira Austin played lights out off the glass for an Ole Miss career-high 14 rebounds on the day. She was a crucial force in the win back in January and proved just how crucial she was again.
Angel Baker came off the bench with a 21 point outing, her fourth time this season scoring 20 or more. Shakira Austin also added 20 of her own, for her seventh double-double of the year.
“They responded like a team should after being embarrassed on our floor,” Ole Miss Head Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said. “We knew that was going to happen, and we didn’t do anything about it.”
Ole Miss closed the gap with six minutes left, narrowing the deficit to only 10. The Bulldogs quickly responded with their fifth three of the game. Mississippi State then went on a 7-0 run to quickly put the game away.
Ole Miss will look to bounce back at home on Thursday night when the Texas A&M Aggies travel to Oxford. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on the SEC Network.
