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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
9-9 (1-4SEC)
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Mississippi State
17-2 (4-1SEC)
Rebels Fall to No. 10 Mississippi State
1/18/2016 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Ole Miss women's basketball team (9-9, 1-4 SEC) dropped a hard fought 79- 51 road contest to No. 10 Mississippi State on Monday night at Humphrey Coliseum. Shandricka Sessom (Byhalia, Miss.) led the offense with 14 points while A'Queen Hayes (Horn Lake, Miss.) led Ole Miss on the glass with nine rebounds.
The Rebels fought tooth and nail with the No. 7 Bulldogs, but couldn't find a way to stop the home team who shot 49.1 percent for the game and held a 46-29 rebounding advantage, as Ole Miss dropped its fourth straight contest and third straight to a ranked opponent.
Ole Miss was strong on defense to open the game, but the home team jumped out to a 13-4 lead at the first quarter media timeout as the Rebels opened the game 1-of-7 from the floor but were as sharp as they have been all season on defense which Ole Miss within striking distance. Out of the media timeout Ole Miss used a bucket from Hayes and a steal from the Mississippi native ignited a 11-4 Ole Miss run over the final two minutes of the first quarter to cut Mississippi State's once nine-point lead to one possession, 17-15, at the end of the quarter. Ole Miss leading scorer Sessom warmed up midway through the first quarter en route to 10 first half points, her most points in the first half in the last four games. The Rebels were within a possession for the majority of the second quarter before the Bulldogs used a 7-0 run over the final 2:30 of the quarter to pull ahead, 39-23 at the break.
Out of the halftime break, the Rebels started to dig in and started to come back on the No. 7 Bulldogs. Madinah Muhammad (Chicago, Ill.) and Hayes started to settle in and combined for several buckets in the third quarter. Hayes completed and old-fashioned three-point play at the 6:34 mark of the third quarter and forced two turnovers on the other end as Ole Miss started to come back on the Bulldogs. As good as the Rebels played on defense, they had a hard time stopping the Bulldogs who shot nearly 50 percent for the game.
The Rebels did a good job on Mississippi State leading scorer Victoria Vivians who had just eight points, nearly 10 points under her average and while scoring just eight points in the second quarter, Ole Miss rebounded out of the halftime break and played the Bulldogs just about even in the third quarter.
Rebel Sidelines
-Today's meeting was the 90th meeting between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. The Rebels own a 63-27 series advantage and the Bulldogs have now won the last four meetings between the teams.
-Madinah Muhammad was in double figures for the third straight game.
-A'Queen Hayes was a rebound and one point shy of her third career double-double with nine points and a team-high 9 rebounds.
-Shandricka Sessom posted her second consecutive and 16th game this season in double figures with 14 points.
-The 28-point margin of deficit was the largest since a 25-point loss in 2002.
-Former Ole Miss player and head coach Carol Ross was apart of the SEC Network broadcast crew for tonight's game.
Up Next
The Rebels will welcome No. 9/9 Kentucky to The Pavilion at Ole Miss on Thursday (Jan. 18). The game will be televised nationally on SEC Network with Cara Capuano and Steffi Sorenson on the call. Fans can also hear Graham Doty and Armintie Herrington on the call on 105.1/105.5 in Oxford/Batesville and on OleMissSports.com
Next Five Games
1/21/16 - vs. Kentucky$ 8 p.m. SEC Network
1/28/16 -at South Carolina 6 p.m. SEC Network+
1/31/16 - vs. Missouri 4 p.m. SEC Network
2/4/16 - at Alabama 6 p.m. SEC Network+
2/7/16 - at Georgia 1 p.m. SEC Network+
$We Back Pat Game
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. Additionally fans can get a behind the scenes look at Ole Miss Athletics on Snapchat under the handle, @WeAreOleMiss.
