Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Hosts Kansas in SEC/Big 12 Challenge

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

Ole Miss women’s basketball team returns to the court this evening as they play host to the Kansas Jayhawks inside the Pavilion. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.

Ole Miss (1-0, 0-0 SEC) welcomes Kansas into town as they take part in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Rebels are coming off of a 99-44 victory over McNeese State on Sunday. Freshman Snudda Collins led the way in scoring against the Cowgirls with 23 points.

Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin squad had a total of five players reach double figures Donnetta Johnson (10), Caitlin McGee (13), Madison Scott (15), Shakira Austin (12), in scoring. 

Kansas (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) is coming off of an 85-43 win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Sunday. The Jayhawks are led by Holly Kersgieter who is averaging 19.0 ppg.

Kansas is averaging 81.5 ppg on offense and their defense has allowed 52.5 ppg.

The SEC/Big 12 Challenge began in 2014, with the first 10-game slate occurring in 2016. The SEC edged the Big 12, 6-4, that year, with the conferences splitting the Challenge, 5-5, the next two seasons before the Big 12 won in 2019.

Each season, 10 institutions from the SEC will square off against all 10 schools from the Big 12. The format includes five home games on campus sites for each conference per season, and teams will not face the same opponent twice.

Ole Miss has taken part in the Challenge three times, traveling to No. 16 West Virginia on Dec. 4, 2016 (L, 66-61), hosting TCU on Nov. 29, 2018 (L, 55-50) and again hitting the road to Texas Tech on Dec. 4, 2019 (L, 84-48).

Ole Miss and Kansas are meeting on the hardwood for the third time. The Rebels lead the series 2-0 all-time. The last meeting between the two teams was in 2006 in the first round of the WNIT, where Ole Miss won 78-76 in Lawrence, Kansas.