LSU Will Have a Tough Time Defeating Ole Miss Women’s Basketball

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

The Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball team will open up conference action Monday as they host the LSU Tigers. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. on SEC Network +. 

Ole Miss will enter league play 6-0. However, Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s squad has been dealing with COVID-19 issues. The last time the Rebels took the court was Dec. 19, when the team beat George Mason 64-34. 

It has been very difficult for opponents to score against the Rebels during the team’s first six games of the 2020-21 season. The squad has the NCAA’s second-best shooting defense (28.1%) and second-best scoring defense (48.3 PPG) — both of which lead the SEC. Furthermore, the national leader in both categories, Utah Valley, has only played two games compared to the six played by Ole Miss. 

Ole Miss is one of just three unbeaten teams left in the SEC and one of only 23 left nationally. The Rebel’s 6-0 start is the first in program history since 2008-09 and only the 12th total in 46 years. Ole Miss finished the non-conference season unblemished for the first time in program history. A win vs. LSU on Monday would make the Rebels 7-0 for the first time since the same 2008-09 season.

LSU enters the Pavilion with a 3-4 record and 1-0 mark in conference action. The Tigers are coming off a 56-43 victory on the road at Auburn. 

LSU is led on the court by Khayla Pointer, who is averaging 12.3 ppg, 3.4 rebounds per game, 3.4 assists per game and 2.6 steals per game. 

These two squads are no strangers to one another. The upcoming match will be the 60th all-time meeting between the two teams. LSU leads the series 37-22 overall. Ole Miss’ last victory over the Tigers was in Oxford in 2015 with a score of 58-57.