Ole Miss rolls to easy win over UAPB in record-setting home opener

OXFORD, Miss. — No. 20/21 Ole Miss made history in its first victory of the season, allowing the fewest points in the history of the women’s basketball program, toppling Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 85-24, at the SJB Pavillion on Sunday in the home opener.

The Rebels (1-1, 0-0 SEC) had its best defensive scoring performance in program history, with 24 points allowed being the fewest ever. The next fewest also came in the head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin era, when the Rebels stumped Alabama A&M with 28 points in 2022. McPhee-McCuin’s teams now hold three of the top five spots with the fewest points allowed in Ole Miss history, including spots one and two.

Ole Miss’ first win of the season was a convincing one. By defeating UAPB by 61 points, it ties the third-widest win margin in program history, which the Rebels also accomplished in 2015 against Alabama A&M. It’s only the fifth instance of an Ole Miss team reaching the +60 mark, and is the largest margin in the McPhee-McCuin era.

Ole Miss rejected 12 shots as a team, which is a tie for the third-most in a game in program history, the last time of which came last season against Florida. Christeen Iwuala led the Rebels in that category, blocking a career-high four shots. UAPB failed to get a single player in double-digits, the first time an Ole Miss team has done that since 2022’s game against Alabama A&M.

The Rebels are now 10-0 against the Golden Lions, winning nine in Oxford.

Ole Miss quickly established dominance against UAPB, forcing a bad shot that turned into an Ayanna Thompson triple on the other end. Thompson’s first points of the season put the Rebels ahead 30 seconds into the game, a lead they would not relinquish.

Starr Jacobs guided the Rebels to an 11-0 lead in the first quarter against her former squad, scoring four of the points in that span. Freshman Sira Thienou became a monster on the boards, securing five rebounds in the first six minutes of the game. In her first career start, Thienou had six points, six rebounds, three rebounds and a block and steal a piece.

Ole Miss kept on the gas pedal by building a 20-6 advantage entering the second quarter. KK Deans entered the game in the second and immediately made her presence known. Deans drained a three for the first points of the quarter. She would go on to make another triple and grabbed three rebounds.

The Rebels ended the first half on a 29-4 run, bolstered by the emergence of Madison Scott, who scored six points in the quarter. Scott scored the final basket of the half, a midrange, uncontested jumper to give the Rebels a 36-point advantage at 50-14, marking the eighth-highest scoring margin going into the second half in program history.

With history in sight, the Ole Miss defense clamped down on UAPB, allowing them to score only 10 points for the rest of the game. The Rebels tied for the fourth-fewest points allowed in a half of play by Ole Miss, and the seventh time ever allowing 10 or less points in one half.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss’ offense remained on the attack. Along with the Rebels forcing a nearly scoreless third quarter, they boosted their advantage to over 50 points. Deans added 10 points in the second half, including an and-one layup and three-pointer to start the half of scoring. Deans ended the game with a team-leading 16 points and added seven rebounds.

UAPB scored its final field goal with over four minutes remaining, and its’ final two points from free throws with just over three minutes to play. Mariyah Noel scored an and-one before Thompson made a layup on the fastbreak, fashioning the final score, 85-24.

REBS! BY! 61! 🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/g1468o5S51

— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) November 10, 2024

Thompson ultimately ended the game with 11 points and three from beyond the arc, which ties for a career best. Iwuala and Noel each put forth career highs in points, having 12 and eight, respectively.

Kharyssa Richardson and Kennedy Todd-Williams led the way for Ole Miss in terms of rebounding, hauling in 11 and 10, respectively.

Ole Miss is back in action this week as it travels to take on Delaware State on Nov. 14.

Information from Ole Miss Sports is included in this story