Ole Miss women’s basketball loses to LSU in overtime, 75-66

The Ole Miss women’s basketball team narrowly lost to LSU in overtime on Sunday afternoon with a final score of 75-66. Ole Miss now falls to 7-7 on the season with one win and six losses in conference play, while LSU is 8-7 on the season with six wins and three losses in the conference. 

The Rebels came out with good energy in the second half and maintained their lead in the third quarter, only allowing the Tigers to score 15 points. Ole Miss had an eight-point lead going into the fourth quarter, but LSU outscored Ole Miss, tying the game up at 63 to go into overtime where the Tigers pulled ahead and sealed the deal. 

“We’re talented, but we’re not tough,” head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said in the post-game press conference. “We’re just not tough when it truly matters.”

Ole Miss was very active on the glass in the first quarter, grabbing 10 rebounds while LSU only had three. The Rebel defense held the Tigers to 12 points in the first quarter and didn’t allow them to score at all in the final three minutes of the quarter. Redshirt sophomore Donetta Johnson and senior Valerie Nesbitt each had six points of the Rebels’ 18 in the first quarter. 

In the second quarter, Ole Miss held a 14-point lead after freshman Snudda Collins hit a three-pointer and gave the team momentum. The Rebels were dominant in every way in the first half, taking control on offense and defense. 

Junior Shakira Austin and freshman Madison Scott each had eight rebounds in the first half. The team went into halftime with a seven-point lead, being up 35-28. 

Johnson led the Rebels with 18 points, four rebounds and one assist. Austin had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Scott put up 12 points and a career-high of 16 rebounds, the most any player for the Ole Miss women’s team has seen since 2015 and the most in an SEC game since 2014. 

Nesbitt added nine points and had two rebounds and three assists. As a team, Ole Miss had 52 rebounds, 23 of those being on the offensive glass. Ole Miss forced 22 turnovers and had 13 steals and two blocks. 

The Ole Miss women’s basketball team will be back in action on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. to take on the Kentucky Wildcats at home in the Pavillion.