Rebels Face Tough Challenge Against No. 10 Lady Vols

Another challenging road test awaits the Ole Miss women’s basketball team on Thursday night as they take on the No. 10 Tennessee Lady Vols on Rocky Top. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Ole Miss (11-8, 1-5 SEC) fell in heartbreaking fashion at Florida on Sunday, with the Gators knocking down a go-ahead layup with 27 seconds to play for the 61-60 win over the Rebels. Four Rebels made it into double-digits: Alston (17), Madinah Muhammad (12), Promise Taylor (12) and Shelby Gibson (10). 
Getting off to a good start has been crucial for the Rebels this season. They’ve gone 10-1 overall when holding a halftime lead, losing only to Florida. When leading at the half, Ole Miss is beating opponents by an average of 19.1 PPG.
Freshman center Taylor was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the third time this season, making her the winningest freshman of the award in Ole Miss women’s basketball history.
Tennessee (16-3, 4-2 SEC) is in a two-game rough patch after losing to Notre Dame (84-70) and No. 2 Mississippi State Bulldogs 71-52. This season, the Lady Vols are led in scoring by senior Jaime Nared, who is averaging 17.1 points per game.
Senior Mercedes Russell is ranked No. 5 nationally in field goal percentage at 64.6.
The Lady Vols are averaging 82.3 ppg. every time they step onto the court.
The long-time national powerhouse Lady Vols hold a commanding lead in the all-time series at 44-8. Tennessee holds a 20-2 advantage in Knoxville and a 19-4 edge in Oxford, as well as a 5-2 record in neutral site games.

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Adam Brown is the sports editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.
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