Rebels Make Trek to No. 9 Mississippi State

			OLE MISS (7-12, 0-6 SEC) at #9 MISSISSIPPI STATE (17-3, 5-1 SEC) Sunday, Jan. 26 • 4 p.m. • Starkville, Miss. Humphrey Coliseum (10,575)
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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Ole Miss women's basketball remains on the road, traveling in-state to take on rival No. 9 Mississippi State on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (7-12, 0-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (16-34) • 110-97 career record (7th Season)

No. 9 Mississippi State (17-3, 5-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Vic Schaefer • 8th Season at MSU (211-59) • 291-169 career record (15th season)

ON THE AIR

Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Tiffany Greene
Color: Steffi Sorensen

OLE MISS RADIO

Radio: 105.1 FM
Audio: TuneIn
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty

SERIES AT A GLANCE
At Oxford: Ole Miss leads 29-14
At Starkville: Ole Miss leads 25-19
At Neutral Sites: Ole Miss leads 9-1
Longest UM Streak: 33 (1982-97)
Longest MSU Streak: 11 (2014-Present)
Biggest UM Win: 43 (2/27/85 - at Oxford)
Biggest MSU Win: 31 (2x, last 1/29/19 - at Starkville)
Most UM Points: 100 (3/4/94 - at Chattanooga)
Most MSU Points: 87 (1/27/02 - at Oxford)
Last 10 Meetings: MSU leads 10-0

SERIES NOTES vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE

Series History
Ole Miss leads, 63-34

Current Streak
Mississippi State, 11

First Meeting
Jan. 23, 1975
• W, 90-76, in Oxford
• First of 17 Rebel wins to begin the series

First SEC Meeting
Jan. 22, 1983
• W, 78-63, in Starkville

Last Meeting
Feb. 21, 2019
• L, 80-66, in Oxford

Last Time in Starkville
Jan. 29, 2019
• L, 80-49

Last Win
Jan. 23, 2014
• W, 87-85, in Oxford

Last Win in Starkville
Feb. 18, 2007
• W, 86-84, in OT
• Armintie Price Herrington: hit GW shot with 1.8 seconds left off an in-bounds pass from Ashley Awkward
• Became the fifth player in NCAA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 steals and 300 assists (Price ended her career as one of just two with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists and 400 steals)
• Ole Miss went on that year to advance to the Elite Eight

SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE

Record
17-3, 5-1 SEC

National Rankings
AP Ranking: 9
Coaches Ranking: 9

Last Game
W, 68-52, at Vanderbilt
• Top scorers: Jessika Carter (22), Aliyah Mathari (14), Jordan Danberry (10)
• 10 lead changes
• Out-scored Vandy 22-2 in the 4th Quarter; only led by one at halftime (31-30)
• Shot 42.4 percent, allowed 32.0
• 31 points off turnovers, 48 in paint
• 17-of-21 from the free throw line

Notes
• RPI: 12
• Only losses to No. 3 Stanford (67-62), West Virginia (71-65) and No. 1 South Carolina (81-79)
• NCAA No. 20 toughest strength of schedule
• Shooting .476, allowing .382
• Shooting .327 from three, allowing .307
• Rebounding Margin: +2.9
• Scoring Margin: +23.2 (2nd SEC, 5th NCAA)
• Leads SEC, 9th NCAA in shooting (.476)
• Also ranks in the NCAA top-50 in: turnover margin (4th, +8.5), total blocks (7th, 105), scoring offense (8th, 81.8 PPG), free throw attempts (8th, 426), free throws made (9th, 286), blocks per game (18th, 5.3), total steals (25th, 196), total rebounds (29th, 781)

MISSISSIPPI STATE PLAYERS TO WATCH

#24 Jordan Danberry
• 14.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.7 SPG
• .535 FG, .654 FT
• 3rd SEC, 18th NCAA in steals (53)
• 5th SEC in shooting (.535)

#5 Rickea Jackson
• 13.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.2 APG
• .475 FG, .400 3PT, .667 FT
• 10th SEC in shooting (.475)

LAST TIME OUT (at AUBURN)
Ole Miss and Auburn fought tooth-and-nail for nearly 35 minutes, but a late 12-0 run by the Tigers helped create some separation as the Rebels fell, 59-43, at Auburn Arena on Jan. 23.

The rollercoaster ride of a game featured five lead changes and several scoring flurries and scoring droughts by both teams throughout. Neither team shot particularly well, going a combined 37-of-128 (.289) from the floor, but the difference came as Auburn (7-10, 1-5 SEC) out-rebounded the Rebels 55-37 and shot 12-of-15 from the charity stripe as Ole Miss (7-12, 0-6 SEC) made it to the line just four times.

"I just felt like we never really attacked," said Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. "I never felt like we were emptying the tank out there for some reason. I don't know if the press made our players nervous, but that's just what it was. They were able to get away in the third and then in the fourth, we just couldn't stay in the game and make shots."

Both teams came out swinging in a ferocious first quarter, as Ole Miss got out to an 18-17 lead after knocking down four three-pointers – two coming from freshman Jayla Alexander (eight points, six rebounds, two steals, one assist) on back-to-back possessions. Ole Miss shot 41.2 percent in that first frame and turned seven Tiger turnovers into 10 points, but things would come to a grinding halt in the second quarter for both squads, as they scored a combined six points – giving Auburn a 21-20 lead at the break.

Junior Deja Cage was the offensive catalyst for the Rebels in the second half, knocking down three of her four three-pointers in the third quarter as Ole Miss bounced back from an 11-0 Auburn run to end the quarter down only four at 38-34. Cage ended with 12 points – all on threes – for her 13th double-digit game of the season. She has hit multiple threes now in 13 games this year, as well as at least three treys in nine games and at least four in five. In her last three games alone she is 10-of-25 (.400) from beyond the arc.

However, that brief offensive explosion by the Rebels slowed again in the fourth quarter as Auburn separated, thanks in large part to another 12-0 run in the late stages of the game.

"I just didn't think we handled the press well going into the third quarter," McPhee-McCuin said. "Nobody was scoring the first two quarters. I just thought they took advantage of the opportunity in the third and never looked back."

Three Tigers scored in double digits: Robyn Benton (17 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals), Brooke Moore (10 points, two steals) and Unique Thompson (10 points, 13 rebounds). Thompson is the NCAA leader in double-doubles with 16 this season, but only got to double-digit points in the last two minutes of action on Thursday.

TEAM NOTES

DAUNTING SCHEDULE AHEAD
Ole Miss not only faces the yearly gauntlet of SEC season now, but it also is going up against a slate of some of the naton's best squads. A total of 10 of the SEC's 14 teams currently reside in the NCAA RPI top-100.

Ole Miss holds the nation's 18th-toughest future schedule according the the NCAA's strength of schedule rankings.

VARIETY IN THE STARTING LINEUP
Ole Miss has used 15 different starting lineups in 19 games of the 2019-20 season. In Coach Yo's first season with the Rebels, Ole Miss used 17 different starting lineups through 31 total games played.

OFF THE LINE
Ole Miss has proved difficult to damage from distance, ranking fourth in the SEC and 39th in the NCAA at an opposing three-point percentage of 27.4 while holding opponents to five or fewer three-pointers in 15 of 19 games this season. In SEC play, the Rebels have allowed the fourth-fewest threes (25) and a 30.1 percent clip.

Just three Rebel opponents have shot better than 33 percent from distance. The Rebel defense held Louisiana to a season-low 1-of-10 clip from the three-point line, the third time in the last two seasons that Ole Miss has held an opposing team to one three-point field goal.

In the Coach Yo era, three-point defense has been a point of emphasis, holding opponents to five threes or fewer in 32 of 50 games in her two seasons. Last season, Ole Miss held 17 opponents to 30 percent or less from three, including 12 that shot 25 percent or worse and four that haven't been able to break 20 percent. The year before, Ole Miss held opponents under 30 percent just 10 times all season.

FIRST HALF SUCCESS = WINS
Ole Miss has found its way into the win column more times than not when having a strong first half effort. The Rebels are 7-1 when leading at the break, with their lone loss coming against Georgia after holding a 28-27 halftime lead. Likewise, Ole Miss is 0-11 when trailing at halftime.

PUT IT ON THE BOARD!
The Rebels are currently undefeated when eclipsing the 70-point threshold this season, standing at 5-0 in such games. The Rebels won three in a row while breaking 70 points from Nov. 23-29 in wins against Louisiana Tech (76-53), Sam Houston State (75-69) and Alcorn State (73-55) with an average win margin of +15.7 in those games. Ole Miss scored a season-high 93 points in the non-conference closer vs. Alabama State, the most by a Rebel team since 2017.

OFF THE GLASS
When the Rebels work the glass effectively it has worked out in the end, as Ole Miss stands at 5-1 when tying or out-rebounding opponents this season. On the year, Ole Miss has had two games with a rebounding margin of +20 against ULM (43-23) and Alcorn State (52-32).

BENCH COMING THROUGH
The Rebel bench has been active in the scoring department, out-scoring opponents in 12 of 18 games thus far for a season total of 377-290.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION VS. ALABAMA ST.
The Rebels put together an impressive offensive performance against Alabama State on Dec. 28, with their 93 points standing as the most by an Ole Miss team since notching 96 against Troy on Nov. 21, 2017. That was just the beginning of the notes for the Rebels, who scored a season-high quarter total twice with 31 in the third and 29 in the fourth, while also recording a season-high 12 three-pointers and 24 assists -- the most by an Ole Miss team in both categories since Dec. 28, 2018 vs. North Florida.

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
Ole Miss had six double-digit scorers in the big 93-66 win over Alabama State on Dec. 28, the most since seven Rebels eclipsed double digits against Winston-Salem State more than 10 years ago on Dec. 20, 2009 (W, 101-46). Since that game in 2009, Ole Miss has recorded at least five double-digit scorers in 10 games, and have only done so in consecutive games once in back-to-back outings against Mississippi State on Jan. 21, 2010 (W, 66-58) and at No. 8 Georgia on Jan. 24, 2010 (W, 66-65). Ole Miss is 9-1 in those games in that span, with the only loss coming at No. 9 Baylor on Dec. 18, 2013 (L, 87-80).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

OH MY, SHE'S ON FIRE!
Junior Deja Cage has been a dynamic scorer for the Rebels, recording 13 different double-digit games and five 20-point games through 19 contests this season. Cage has also been one of the most consistent three-point shooters in the league, ranking fourth in threes per game (2.3).

Cage lit the net on fire with a career-high 30-point performance on 10-of-18 shooting and 5-of-8 three-point shooting against Louisiana Tech. She is one of just four Rebels in the last five years to have recorded a 30-point game.

BIG MINUTES FOR ALEXANDER
Freshman and Pearl, Mississippi native Jayla Alexander has been a key member on the floor for the Rebels in SEC play, currently ranking third the league in minutes played in conference season with 35.8 minutes per game.

Alexander has become a staple in the starting lineup for Ole Miss, starting each of the last eight games dating back to Dec. 20 after serving as a crucial reserve off the bench in her first 11 games as a Rebel. In that stretch, Alexander scored 101 points off the bench -- including 52 points in a four-game stretch from Nov. 15 to Nov. 26. Alexander went off against New Orleans with a 21-point outing against the Privateers on a 5-of-8 clip from beyond the arc. On the year, she has recorded seven double-digit games, including a 16-point outing against Missouri on Jan. 19.

Alexander, the No. 1 rated recruit out of the state of Mississippi last year, has played at least 18 minutes in each game this season, currently ranking second among SEC freshman at 30.5/game.

TWO NEW FACES
Ole Miss welcomed two new faces to the team prior to tipoff vs. Missouri on Jan. 19 in the form of freshman early enrollee Caitlin McGee and former student manager Tootie Rankin.

McGee – a 6-1 forward out of Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, Florida – graduated early this past December. McGee made the decision to enroll early to help prepare for her freshman season. She will sit out as a redshirt for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. A three-star recruit by ESPN as part of a 2020 Ole Miss class that ranks No. 1 in the SEC, McGee was a varsity letterwinner in both basketball and track & field while at Sandalwood. In her three-year career, she averaged 18.0 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. She is a three-time all-conference selection, a three-time first-team All-Area and All-City member, and was named to both the 2018-19 First-Team All-State and Times Union All-Decade teams.

Rankin, meanwhile, joins the active Rebel roster after serving as a student manager for the 2019-20 season. Rankin transferred to Ole Miss after two seasons at Southwest Mississippi Community College, where she played in 48 total games. Rankin saw her first action on Jan. 19 vs. Missouri, playing 17 minutes while recording two points and three rebounds, and earned her first start at Auburn (22 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds).

A biochemistry major, Rankin excelled at SWMCC, earning a 4.0 in her two years there. While there, she also was a member of Bear Trackers, Student Government Association, Phi Theta Kappa, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and volunteered her time to become a Chemistry tutor in the Student Success Center. She was awarded the Lyceum Scholar Award from Ole Miss, given to 15 transfer students from across the country who must be excellent leaders who excel both in and out of the classroom

PARKER HUSTLES ON THE GLASS
Freshman Bryn Parker has been key for Ole Miss on the glass as of late, hauling in 17 rebounds in her last four games. After having played just 15 total minutes in four total games prior, Parker has played 88 minutes in the last four games -- including a great outing at LSU in which she grabbed eight boards in 28 minutes played.

BANKS WITH THE REJECTION
Junior Dominique Banks is on pace for a historical season defensively. At her current average of 2.4 blocks per game, she is on pace to nearly break the Ole Miss single-season record in blocks with 70. Banks is currently the NCAA's 20th-best in blocks per game and No. 17 overall in total blocks (46).

1. Promise Taylor - 82 ('17-18, 31 games)
2. Shawn Goff - 67 ('07-08, 29 games)
3. Shawn Goff - 60 ('08-09, 30 games)
4. Susan Byrd - 60 ('93-94, 33 games)
5. Susan Byrd - 59 ('92-93, 28 games)

Furthermore, her eight blocks against Georgia Southern on Dec. 16 stand as the second-most in a game at Ole Miss. Banks has had at least four blocks in three games and at least three blocks in nine contests. She has had multiple blocks in all but four games, and only one this season without recording a single rejection.

DOM ON THE BLOCK
Junior Dominique Banks has been a force to reckon with on the block, averaging 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks to go along with her 6.4 points per game average. Banks recorded her first career double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds vs. Alcorn State, the most boards by a Rebel since Bretta Hart hauled in 18 against Western Kentucky on Dec. 2, 2015.
Banks has started eight games for the Rebels at the five position, and she currently ranks third in the SEC with her 2.6 blocks per game and 14th at 6.8 rebounds.

AIR IT OUT, TORRI!
Senior three-point specialist Torri Lewis has picked up right where she left off two years ago, returning for the Rebels as a key weapon from deep. Lewis, who returned for her redshirt senior season at Ole Miss after sitting out last year due to the birth of her son, A.J., is a career 33.2 percent three-point shooter. In her career, 86.2 percent of all of her field goals have come from three-point distance.

Lewis shot a combined 11-of-28 (.393) from three-point distance in three games from Dec. 16-28, knocking down at least three treys in each game and hitting four twice against Georgia Southern on Dec. 16 and Alabama State on Dec. 28.

In her career, Lewis owns 30 games with multiple threes -- hitting seven or more threes in a game twice. She knocked down a school-record 10 in a game vs. New Orleans as a freshman in 2015 (the third-most in a single-game in NCAA history), and during her junior year, she nailed seven against Alabama.

During that junior season, Lewis was on fire from downtown in the final month of the season, going 16-of-32 in a stretch from deep from Feb. 1-11. That season, 90 percent of her made field goals were three-pointers and 131 of her 150 attempts were from beyond the arc (87.3 percent).

Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on Twitter at @YolettMcCuin

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Players Mentioned

Jayla Alexander

Dominique Banks

Deja Cage

Torri Lewis

Caitlin McGee

Bryn Parker

Tootie Rankin

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