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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
10-19, 2-14SEC
Arkansas
12-17, 7-9SEC
Rebels Drop Road Contest at Arkansas
2/28/2016 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2016
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Ole Miss women's basketball tried to rally in the fourth quarter but couldn't complete the comeback falling, 60-49 to Arkansas in the regular season finale. The Rebels made things interesting in the fourth quarter and after trailing by as many as eight points in the second half, the Rebels cut the lead to two points before the Arkansas closed the game on a 14-5 run to take the victory.
Shandricka Sessom (Byhalia, Miss.) led the Ole Miss offense with 19 points and Madinah Muhammad (Chicago, Ill.) scored 14 points for her 11th game in double figures. Shequila Joseph (London, England) tied her career-high with 10 rebounds in the loss.
Arkansas came out and cut the Ole Miss lead all the way to one possession, 29-27 with a big three-pointer from Jessica Jackson at the 7:13 mark and from that point the score see-sawed back and forth between the teams. Sessom ended a nearly five minute scoring drought with a bucket for the left elbow but Arkansas, who took its first lead of the game at the 4:16 mark, used a 10-3 run to close the quarter to take a 39-31 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Both teams were slow out of the gates but the Rebels got hot early, running out to a 10-2 lead behind seven early points from Muhammad. Joseph also got into the action with an early triple to keep momentum with the visitors. Ole Miss kept its strong start going and was feeling it from long range as the Rebels opened the game shooting 37.5 percent from long range (3-of-8) and was 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from the floor. Sessom back in the starting lineup for the first time in four games, missed her first five shots but settled in at the end of the quarter and had six points in the first quarter. The Rebels held Arkansas to just eight first quarter points and 26.7 (4-of-15) shooting from the floor.
Ole Miss struggle to score in the second quarter and saw its first points of the quarter at the 5:15 mark on a pair of free throws from A'Queen Hayes (Horn Lake, Miss.). The Razorbacks cut into the lead and had the once-13 point lead down to six points at the second quarter media timeout. Ole Miss was able to keep the 'Hogs at bay the remainder of the quarter thanks to some big shots from Sessom who was into double figures by the end of the first half with 10 points. Ole Miss was cold in the second frame scoring just six points but took a 25-20 lead into the halftime break.
Rebel Sidelines
-Today's game is the first matchup of these teams this season. Arkansas won the last meeting between the teams at the 2015 SEC Tournament. Ole Miss leads the all-time series 25-16.
-Erika Sisk came off the bench for the first time in her collegiate career snapping a streak of 90 consecutive games in the starting lineup spanning her career in games at Ole Miss and Murray Stare.
-Shandricka Sessom was back in the start lineup after coming off the bench the last four games.
-Sessom recorded her 24th game in double figures with 19 points. It was her second straight game in double figures.
-Madinah Muhammad posted her 11th game in double figures with 14 points
-Shequila Joseph tied her career high with 10 rebounds.
Up Next
The Rebels head to the 2016 SEC Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. Ole Miss will be the No. 14 seed and will take on the No. 11 seed, Vanderbilt, in opening round action on Wednesday at approximately 1:30 PM ET. Fans in the Oxford, Lafayette area can hear Graham Doty and Armintie Herrington on the call on 105.1/105.5 in Oxford/Batesville and on OleMissSports.com
Upcoming Games
3/2-6/16- at SEC Tournament TBA SEC Network
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.
