Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Cruises To Win over Jackson State on Kids Game

Ole Miss Women’s Basketball. Photo courtesy of Josh McCoy / Ole Miss Sports

In front of a record crowd of 8,088 fans, the Ole Miss women’s basketball team picked up an 89-41 win over Jackson State. The win gives Ole Miss its 800th all-time program win and moves Ole Miss to a perfect 5-0 at The Pavilion at Ole Miss this season.

Ole Miss (6-1) had a fairly balanced score sheet with 10 players making their way into the scoring book with Shandricka Sessom (Byhalia, Miss.) leading the way with her second double-double of the season with a team-best 18 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Bretta Hart (Poplarville, Miss.) also recorded her second career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

In total, five Rebels reached double figures – marking the second time this season Ole Miss has had five players in double figures. It also marked the first time in the Insell era in which Ole Miss had two double-doubles in the same contest.

Holding a commanding, 54-22, lead at halftime, Ole Miss kept the pedal to the metal in the second half, scoring 35 points and holding the visiting Lady Tigers to just 19 points in the second half, including just three in the fourth quarter on just 7.7 percent shooting in the final frame.

Ole Miss finished the game shooting 50 percent (36-of-69) and snagged a season-best 58 rebounds, after being out-rebounded in its last two contests. The Ole Miss reserves were phenomenal against the Lady Tigers, scoring 50 points. The Rebels had three players in double figures off the bench led by 14 from sophomore Alissa Alston (New Haven, Conn.), while Shelby Gibson (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Hart added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Both teams started slow from the floor, but Ole Miss got into the groove of things midway through the half behind six unanswered points from Gibson. The Rebels jumped out to a 10-1 lead at the first media timeout a lead they wouldn’t give up the entire contest. Jackson State got their first field goal at the 3:51 mark of the first stanza, but Ole Miss’s offense was good, if not great, in the first quarter, the home team shot 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the floor in the first half and was led by a trio of players with six points. The Rebels didn’t slow down in the second frame and tacked on 26 second-quarter points, en route to a 54-22 half time lead.

Rebel Sidelines
-Ole Miss used its third lineup of the season with freshman Kate Rodgers getting her first career start. Rodgers becomes the first Ole Miss freshman to get a start this season.

-Ole Miss set a new single-game record for attendance with 8,088 fans, which are the most fans to ever see an Ole Miss women’s basketball game. The previous record was 7,407, a mark set last season vs. Mississippi Valley State.

-With the win Ole Miss picks up its 800th program win, becoming one of just six SEC schools with 800 all-time wins.

-Ole Miss’ 6-1 start equals the best start under Matt Insell. The team was also 6-1 to open the 2014-15 season.

-Ole Miss had five players in double figures for the second time this season. Ole Miss also had five in double figures against Jacksonville State.

-Ole Miss has now kept opponents to single digits in 12 of the 28 quarters of basketball this season.

-For the first time in the Insell era, Ole Miss had two players record double-doubles.

-Alissa Alston posted a career-high seven assists in the contest.

Up Next
Ole Miss hits the road for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Rebels will travel to Morgantown, WV to take on West Virginia. Tip is set for 3:00 PM CT from West Virginia’s WVU Coliseum.

Next Five Games
Dec. 4 – at West Virginia# 3 PM
Dec. 10 – vs. Louisiana Monroe 1 PM
Dec. 14 – vs. Oregon 6 PM
Dec. 17 – vs. VCU 1 PM
Dec. 20 – vs. Austin Peay 6 PM

#-SEC/Big 12 Challenge

Keep Up With the Rebels
Keep up to date with the Ole Miss women’s basketball team throughout the season on social media. For all Ole Miss women’s basketball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB on Instagram at Ole MissWBB and on Snapchat with the handle @OleMissWBB. Fans can also follow Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach Matt Insell on Twitter at @minsell.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports