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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
9-6, 1-1SEC
LSU
7-8, 1-1SEC
Rebels Drop Road Contest to LSU
1/7/2016 | Women's Basketball
Boxscore
BATON ROUGE, La. - The Ole Miss women's basketball team (9-6, 1-1 SEC) dropped its SEC road opener, 70-54, at LSU on Thursday evening. The Rebels were led by Kelsey Briggs (Memphis, Tenn.) who had a team best 11 points off the bench, while Alissa Alston (New Haven, Conn.) added 10 points in the loss and A'Queen Hayes (Horn Lake, Miss.) added nine rebounds. The loss snapped Ole Miss' three-game win streak.
The game was tight throughout, but the home team began to pull away in the third quarter. Despite a tough shooting night, Ole Miss saw several bright spots of the bench in Briggs, Alston and Kiara Golden (Olive Branch, Miss.) who added five points.
Coming out of the break, Ole Miss started to cut into the lead and with two triples from Torri Lewis (Olive Branch, Miss.) but the Rebels found themselves trailing by seven, 42-35 with 4:43 left in the third quarter. LSU used a 11-3 run to break open a 15-point lead in the third quarter but back-to-back baskets from Kelsey Briggs (Memphis, Tenn.) to close the third quarter kept some momentum with the road team but Ole Miss wouldn't get closer than 11 the rest of the way as they dropped their first game in the last three outings.
The home team took an early 8-2 lead and held the Rebels scoreless for over four minutes but a triple from Shandricka Sessom (Byhalia, Miss.) coupled with a bucket from Alissa Alston (New Haven, Conn.) got cut a once six-point LSU down to just one point at the first media timeout. The first quarter was a game of runs from both teams and Ole Miss closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run courtesy of a triple from Madinah Muhammad (Chicago, Ill.) and a three-point play from Erika Sisk (Oxford, Miss.)
Ole Miss continued its run from the first quarter and with a triple from A'Queen Hayes (Horn Lake, Miss.) Ole Miss took its first lead since the opening minutes of the game, 18-16, at the 9:49 mark. Much like the first quarter the score see-sawed back and forth between the teams, with neither team taking more than a two point lead throughout the second quarter.
Kiara Golden (Olive Branch, Miss.) was a spark off the bench in the first half, scoring five points including a go-ahead three-pointer at the 5:52 mark of the second quarter and registering a huge block as the clock wound down in the second quarter with the home team leading 33-26.
From The Head Coach
On the game …
"It was a disappointing result but we'll go and regroup and figure out what happened. We'll watch the film and see what happened and what we need to work on and get ready to play a good Florida team on Sunday."
On what the team needs to work on …
"We didn't play defense tonight. Our defense wasn't even close to what it's been in the last several games. We didn't guard from the post position, we didn't guard from the guard position we allowed them to catch the ball wherever they wanted to catch it. I can't explain that because we work on it. We gave up 76 points to a team that averages 57, that's on us and we have to go back and figure that out and get better from it and we will. It's a long season, we'll figure things out and get better from it and get ready for a tough Florida team on Sunday."
On opening the Pavilion on Sunday …
"I hope it brings some momentum for us playing for the first time at the Pavilion at Ole Miss on Sunday or else I'm going to have to dress Armintie out. You look at Alissa Alston, who had a good night, Bretta Hart who continues to hustle even though she missed some chip-ins. Our shooters have to make shots and if you cant rely on shooting we need to go to the rim. Shandricka Sessom is our go- to and the last two games she's been taken out of what she does so she needs to own up and understand her role and until she does folks will continue to do what LSU did tonight."
Rebel Sidelines
-Today's game was Ole Miss' first SEC road game of the season. Ole Miss is looking for its first winning road record since the 2006-07 season. Ole Miss hasn't won in Baton Rouge since the 2010 season.
-The series between the Rebels and Tigers moves to 32-22 in favor of LSU.
-Shandricka Sessom's double figures scoring steak was snapped at 14 games as she was held to 5 points Sessom is the No. 3 scorer in the SEC with 17.9 ppg.
-Kelsey Briggs was in double figures for the second time this season and fourth time in her career with 11 points. Alissa Alston was also in double figures with 10 points, her third career game in double figures.
-Ole Miss started the same lineup that it used for the last two games with Erika Sisk, Shequila Joseph, Shandricka Sessom, Torri Lewis and A'Queen Hayes. The five moved to 4-2 with the win.
Up Next
The Rebels will play their first ever game at the brand new, Pavilion at Ole Miss on Sunday (Jan. 10) when they host Florida in a nationally-televised game on the SEC Network. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT with Brenda VanLangen and Candace Parker on the call.
Next Five Games
1/10/16 - vs. Florida* 1 p.m. SEC Network
1/14/16 -at Texas A&M 7 p.m. SEC Network+
1/18/16 - at Mississippi State 6 p.m. SEC Network
1/21/16 - vs. Kentucky$ 8 p.m. SEC Network
1/28/16-at South Carolina 6 p.m. SEC Network+
*Pavilion Grand opening weekend
$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.
