The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
5-4
Southern Miss
6-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ole Miss | 7 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 38 |
| Southern Miss | 8 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 57 |
Ole Miss Drops Road Contest at Southern Miss
12/12/2015 | Women's Basketball
Boxscore
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Ole Miss women's basketball team saw its four-game winning streak snapped with a 57-38 road loss at Southern Miss. Shandricka Sessom (Byhalia, Miss.) led all scorers with 20 points for her 10th straight game in double figures dating back to last season, while Bretta Hart (Poplarville, Miss.) led the way on the glass with seven rebounds.
Ole Miss, typically a good shooting team, was cold from the floor all night, shooting a season-low 21.4 (15-of-70) percent from the floor while also losing the battle of the boards, 52-39. Ole Miss couldn't get into any rhythm all night. Sessom had some help in the fourth quarter with seven points from Madinah Muhammad (Chicago, Ill.)and Ole Miss outscored the Lady Eagles, 17-14, but it wasn't enough as Ole Miss saw its four-game win streak come to an end.
Ole Miss came out of the break and Sessom nailed a triple, but the Rebels couldn't stop the Eagles in transitions, which was the story of the game, as the home team scored 17 points in the third quarter to take a 43-21 lead at the end of three quarters.
The first quarter was fairly evenly matched as both teams looked to utilize transition. The Rebels opened the game with a 5-0 burst thanks to buckets from Sessom and Erika Sisk (Oxford, Miss.), but the home team started to cut back into the lead late and took a 8-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Rebels opened the second half cold, going 0-for-10 from the floor through the first seven minutes, while letting the home team extend its lead to 16-7 at the 4:43 mark of the second half, forcing Ole Miss to call a timeout to try and regroup. Ole Miss started to get things going late with a bucket from Sessom, which ended a nearly nine minute scoring drought but the Rebels went into the locker room trailing, 26-13.
From The Head Coach
On the game …
"Our enthusiasm and energy just wasn't there from the beginning. I was begging and pleading with them early on in the game. We went to the line 12 times and we're a team that likes to drive the ball, we just stood around today. We're a very offensive sensitive basketball team and we just stood around and watched Shandricka play and there were people that weren't being guarded. They didn't think about guarding anyone but Shandricka Sessom, the rest of our players just stood there and we missed wide open shots. Its just part of who we are -- we're an offensive sensitive basketball team right now. When you don't 'guard and you don't get guarded it's a recipe for disaster and that's what happened."
On what adjustments will be made before the next game …
"We have to find some energy and enthusiasm. We had it in practice, we had it and didn't have it today. I don't know what happened. I'll go back and watch the film and figure it out but I'll tell you this. I'm not going to deal with offensive sensitive people. Defense is what makes it go. We're a good defensive team and we held them to 57 points but because shots weren't falling it effected everything else. We have to play hard no matter what. We'll figure it out. We got hit and we got hit and we'll get it right. We're a lot better than what we showed today."
Rebel Sidelines
-Today's meeting was the second straight meeting between Ole Miss and Southern Miss. The Rebels lead the all-time series, 17-5, and had their five-game wining streak against the Eagles snapped with today's loss.
-Shandricka Sessom posted her 10th consecutive game in double figures with 20 points. She is averaging 18.8points per game, which currently leads the SEC.
-Bretta Hart had lots of friends and family in attendance at today's game. Hart, hails from Poplarville, Miss., which is about 45 minutes south of Hattiesburg.
-Ole Miss' 38 points are the second fewest the Rebels have scored in program history and the fewest points for Ole Miss since scoring 41 against LSU last season in Baton Rouge. Ole Miss' 13 first-half points ranks sixth fewest.
-For the first time this season Ole Miss had only one player score in double figures
-Ole Miss used its four guard lineup of Sessom, Muhammad, Hayes and Sisk along with Shequila Joseph for the sixth straight game. The group moved to 4-2 as starters.
Up Next
Ole Miss has a short turnaround and will be back in action on Monday at 6 pm from Tad Smith Coliseum when New Orleans makes the trip to Oxford. The Privateers are the first of three straight opponents from the state of Louisiana for the Rebels.
Next Five Games
12/14/15- vs. New Orleans 6 p.m.
12/16/15- vs. Tulane 6 p.m.
12/19/15- vs. McNeese State 12 p.m.
12/29/15- vs. Alabama A&M 6 p.m.
1/3/16- vs. Vanderbilt 2 p.m.
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 and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. Fans can also follow Ole Miss women's basketball head coach Matt Insell on Twitter at @minsell.
