No. 24 Rebels beat Trojans, earn fifth straight win
OXFORD, Miss. - Returning to Oxford off of its title at the Battle4Atlantis, Ole Miss fended off Little Rock while Madison Scott eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark, 58-45 from the SJB Pavilion on Saturday. The Rebels have now won their last five games in a row.
A fourth quarter charge pushed Ole Miss (6-1) past Little Rock (0-5), powered by Snudda Collins and Marquesha Davis with a team-high 11 points each. Going a perfect 3-of-3 from the field, Madison Scott pushed past the 1,000 career point threshold and ended her day with nine points and two rebounds.
The Ole Miss bench ran deep with 29 points total, led by Collins and Tyia Singleton adding a season-high seven points and led the Rebels with nine rebounds. The Rebels remained aggressive off the glass, out rebounding Little Rock 40 to 26.
The Rebels started off strong with a first possession score by Kennedy Todd-Williams, immediately after drawing a foul she made two free throws. Singleton's layup started a 8-2 run to end the first quarter. Locking it down on defense, the Rebels held the Trojans to 2-of-11 from the floor in the opening quarter, to lead 11-5.
To open the second quarter, Davis snatched the ball away from Little Rock for a bucket on the first possession. The Rebels extended their lead by going 3-of-6 beyond the arc, including two three's from Collins. Heading into the half, Marjia Avlijas ended the Trojans' 6-0 run with a jumper to remain ahead 26-15.
Little Rock closed the gap, but the Rebels were able to hold on to the lead by getting to the charity stripe throughout the third quarter. Scott made her presence known, shooting perfect from the floor in the quarter.
The Trojans brought their momentum from the third quarter to the fourth quarter, starting on a 5-0 run.
Responding to the Trojans defensively, a block from Richardson ignited Singleton to score a three to get the Rebels going. The Rebels took off on an 8-0 run to go on to outscore the Trojans 20-14 in the final quarter to seal the 58-45 win.
The Rebels remain at home and welcome Louisville on Wednesday in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge. Tip from the SJB Pavilion is slated for 8:15 p.m. CT, airing nationally on ESPNU.