Women's Basketball On the Hunt for its Sixth Road Win at No. 23 Kentucky

			OLE MISS (16-2, 4-1 SEC) at No. 23 KENTUCKY (8-6, 1-3 SEC) Sunday, January 23 • 11 a.m. CT • Lexington, Ky. Rupp Arena
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The high flying Rebels wrap up its two-game road swing with a trip to face its third ranked opponent of the season in No. 23 Kentucky on Sunday (Jan. 23). The matchup is slated for 11 a.m. CT, airing nationally on SEC Network.

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (16-2, 4-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 4th Season at Ole Miss (47-59) • 141-122 career record (9th Season)

Kentucky Wildcats (8-6, 1-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Kyra Elzy • 2nd Season at Kentucky (26-15) • 26-15 career record (2nd Season)

ON THE AIR

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

OLE MISS RADIO

Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty

SERIES NOTES

SERIES HISTORY vs. KENTUCKY
The two schools have been fairly even in recent matchups, spliting the last 10 at five a piece. Ole Miss has held favor the last two seasons, taking the last three out of four games against the Wildcats as the Rebels carry the all-time series lead 25-19.

McPhee-McCuin carries a 3-2 record against the Wildcats, including a 2-0 record in Lexington.

Against a ranked Kentucky team, Ole Miss boasts an 8-6 record against the Wildcats.

FIRST MEETING

2/9/80-UM, 79-62-at Knoxville^

LAST MEETING

2/28/20-UM, 73-69-in Lexington

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Carried by one of the nation's most prolific scorers in Rhyne Howard, Kentucky started off the season 8-2 but has hit a slump recently dropping their last three contests.

Howard currently ranks second in the SEC, scoring an average of 19.1 points per game and 20.0 in conference play.

Like the Rebels, Kentucky does a superb job of taking care of the ball. The Wildcats rank second in the conference and 21st in the nation with a +6.14 turnover margin. They also drop assists at an efficient pace, averaging 16.6 per contest.

OUTINGS AGAINST KENTUCKY

Austin 21.5 ppg 12.0 rpg 0.5 apg

Reid 7.8 ppg 2.3 rpg 3.3 apg

Johnson 13.0 ppg 3.0 rpg

Collins 8.5 ppg 4.0 rpg 0.5 apg

Scott 10.5 ppg 9.0 rpg 2.5 apg

LONE STAR STATE-MENT
The history books keep being rewritten, as Ole Miss checked off another milestone during the 2021-22 campaign, with its first road win against Texas A&M in the 80-63 victory from Bryan-College Station on Thursday night.

Ole Miss knocked off the Aggies for only the third time in program history, with the largest margin of victory in the series.

Lashonda Monk continues to deliver at an efficient pace, with her fifth straight game in double-figures as she led the Rebs with 16 points. Ole Miss continues to operate on all cylinders, with five Rebels reaching double-figures for the second consecutive outing.

After trading blows back-and-forth throughout the first quarter, Ole Miss struck fire in the second with seven straight field goals and 28 points in the quarter to secure a lead and never look back.

The Ole Miss defense cashed in off of A&M turnovers for a total of 25 points. While the Aggies couldn't hold onto the ball, the Rebels did an exceptional job of taking care of it with a season-low six turnovers.

CASHING IN
Making its opponents pay for its mistakes has been a theme for Ole Miss during conference play, as the Rebels are averaging 16.8 points per game off of turnovers.

In three out of five SEC games, Ole Miss has returned its opponents turnovers for 25 or more points. Against Texas A&M, the Rebels returned Aggie turnovers for 25 points, while the Aggies were only able to score two.

ANOTHER MONK MILESTONE
Lashonda Monk has had herself quite the month of January, as the graduate transfer has been averaging 13.8 points per game with five straight double-figure outings.

At Texas A&M, her 16 points boosted her to eclipse the 1,500 career point mark. Monk is one of 61 active players in Division I to accomplish the feat.

CLOSING IN ON 1,500
While Lashonda Monk just hit the 1,500 point milestone, Angel Baker is right behind her as the senior is 26 points away.

Once Baker hits the mark, Ole Miss will be one of eight programs in the nation to have two 1,500 point scorers on its roster.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Scoring has been plentiful during this past stretch of SEC games, as four Rebels currently average 10.0+ points per game in conference play.

The last two games against Mississippi State and Texas A&M have been no exception, as five Rebels racked up double-figures in the contests.

THRIVING IN THE SECOND
The second quarter is where the Rebels are most dangerous, as Ole Miss has accounted for the largest majority of its points this season.

The 28 points scored in the second quarter at Texas A&M were the most in a quarter in conference play this season.

HOLDING ON AT ALL COSTS
While the Aggies struggled to take care of the ball, Ole Miss did an exceptional job of it Thursday night. The Rebels bested its season-low nine turnovers against South Florida, with a total of six against the Aggies.

The six were the fewest in a single-game in the Yolett McPhee-McCuin era, and the lowest in any game since January of 2018 at Florida.

OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
Against the Crimson Tide, the 86 points as a team marked the most scored by any Ole Miss team in an SEC game since the Rebels recorded 87 in overtime against Mississippi State in 2014.

Ole Miss met this mark three days later, dropping another 86 points, this time against Mississippi State.

The back-to-back games 80 point outings is the first time the Rebels have dropped 80 or more in two straight SEC games since 2010.

With another 80 point outing against the Aggies, it was the first time in program history that Ole Miss has recorded three straight 80 point games in SEC play.

CRASH THE BOARDS
Off the glass against Mississippi State, Ole Miss dominated the Bulldogs off the boards by a margin of 20 more at 43 to 23. This was the Rebels third game this season with a rebounding margin of 20 or more.

The feat against the Bulldogs was the largest rebounding margin against an SEC team since facing Vanderbilt in January of 2007, where the Rebels outrebounded the Commodores by 20. Former Rebel and current assistant coach, Armintie Herrington (Price) led Ole Miss in that game with a total of 11 rebounds.

TIDE. ROLLED.
The high-flying Rebel offense contributed to another historic mark set against Alabama, as Ole Miss claimed its second straight win in the series.

The 30 point margin of victory against the Crimson Tide was the largest margin of victory against an SEC opponent in 13 seasons. The 2008-2009 Rebels defeated Alabama by 30 points in Oxford.

ALL OUT EFFORT
Through its first five SEC games, Ole Miss is forcing an average of 20.4 turnovers per game. Three out of five SEC opponents have turned the ball over 20 or more times, with Florida surrendering an SEC opponent high of 25.

The last time the Rebels forced 20+ turnovers in three straight games, was in 2017 in non-conference games against Middle Tennessee, Arkansas State and South Alabama.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Not only are the Rebels one of the best teams in the SEC in terms of taking the ball away from its opponents, they also continue to prove that they can take care of it as well.

They love to win the turnover battle, as the Rebels currently lead the SEC with an average of 6.78 turnovers less than their opponent each game. This also ranks 14th in all of Division I.

Against Texas A&M, the six turnovers surrendered to the Aggies, were the fewest in any game this season by the Rebels

HIGH FLYING VETERANS
The senior class has been getting it done lately for the Rebels, as two seniors in Austin plus Baker and graduate Lashonda Monk account as three of the squad's top four scoring options.

Against Mississippi State, the trio combined for 50 of the team's 86 total points.

SHE'S GOT RANGE
We all knew that Shakira Austin has the ability to go to work and get it done in the paint, but the senior also proved that she's got the option of nailing a deep shot when she wants.

Austin hit back-to-back triple's in the fourth quarter against MSU, to set a new-career high.

GOING STREAKING
The past five games have been nice to Lashonda Monk, as she is currently riding a five-game streak of finishing with double-digit points. This is the longest streak of the season for the Greensoboro native.

After missing the first eight games of the season due to a foot injury, Donnetta Johnson is finding her mojo with back-to-back double-digit games this past week including a season-high 12 against MSU.

SHE'S STOLEN OUR HEARTS
There's a reason why Lashonda Monk ranks second in the nation in active career steals with a total of 405.

The graduate transfer has a total of 30 so far this season, and recorded a steal in each of the first nine games this season.

After Monk picked up her 400th steal against Alabama, she became of 31 in NCAA history to join the 400 steal club.

FOUL ME ONCE...
The charity stripe has been kind to the Rebels this season, as Ole Miss has used it to its advantage.

Ranking 24th in the nation and third in the conference, the Rebels are averaging 13.5 made shots from the line each game. They also rank 14th nationally and fourth in the conference with a total of 358 attempts.

WORK HARD, GET REWARDED
With 15 trips to the line against Florida, Shakira Austin capitalized off of going hard in the paint to ultimately knock down 10 free throws.

She followed this up the next game against No. 7 Tennessee with 12 trips to the line, to knock down 10 free throws.

Austin's 15 free throw attempts tie the most in a single-game by any SEC player this season. She ranks second in the conference in attempts at 106 and third in makes at 72.

KEEPING IT 100

The game at Florida marked an important career milestone for redshirt-senior Mimi Reid, with her 100th game in a Rebel jersey.

The Bronx, N.Y. native has started in 84 percent of her games throughout her four year playing career in Oxford.

SHINING AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
With 26 points against No. 7 Tennessee, Shakira Austin loves to pour it on against ranked opponents.

In her 11 games against ranked opponents as a Rebel, she is currently averaging 17.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

ROAD TOUGH AND TESTED
With wins at Cal, Cincinnati, Hofstra, Florida and Texas A&M Ole Miss loves to prove its talent nation wide with a record of 5-0 on the road.

This is the first time that the Rebels have begun their time on the road with five wins since the 1986-87 season.

It's the longest program road winning streak since the 1993-94 season.

UNDER PRESSURE
Every road trip Ole Miss makes sure to pack its defense, and the trek to Gainesville was no exception.

The Rebels forced 25 turnovers against the Gators, forcing its opponents to hand over the ball 25 times or more for the fourth game this year.

The 20.8 turnovers forced per game lead the SEC and rank 27th in the country.

STATEMENT. MADE.
Not only did Ole Miss pick up its first ranked win of the season against then No. 18 South Florida, it also was the first non-conference win over a ranked opponent for the program since 2007.

WE'VE GOT AN ANGEL ON OUR SIDE
With a dominant performance at the West Palm Beach Invitational, Angel Baker was named the co-SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 28.

The senior guard was a key piece to the two victories, as Baker averaged 14.5 points per game, shooting 61.5% from the field. In the win over Texas Tech, Baker came off the bench to score a season-high 24 points.

Baker is the first Rebel to earn a weekly SEC nod since Shakira Austin was named the SEC Player of the Week in February of last season.

A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
As Ole Miss continued its remarkable winning streak, the program's six wins in the month of December are the most by any Rebel team since 2016.

PICK POCKET PROS
Ole Miss recorded a season-high 18 steals at Florida, for the most steals in against an SEC opponent since facing Alabama in the 2007 SEC Tournament. The Rebels have recorded double-digit steals in 11 of 18 games this season.

The Rebels average 10.8 steals per game, second among all SEC teams and rank 27th in the nation.

TAKING AND MAKING
Ole Miss has scored 20-plus points off turnovers in 11 of 18 games this season.

Over the last seven games, the Rebels have scored an average 19.4 points off turnovers.

STREAK SETTERS
With 13 wins in a row dating from Nov. 14 through Jan. 6, Ole Miss rode its longest winning streak since the 1991 Rebels won 25 games in a row.

The 13 straight wins ranks third all-time in consecutive victories in program history.

This set the longest streak of McPhee-McCuin's career, and her longest at Ole Miss.

WITNESSING HISTORY
Halfway into the 2021-22 season, the Rebels continue to rewrite history.

Holding Samford to 48 points set the program record for scoring defense keeping the most opponents under 50 points in a season.

Ole Miss tied the program record against Hofstra, with three other Rebel teams keeping seven opponents under 50. It only took one game later to break that record, keeping its eighth opponent under 50 points.

BLOCK PARTY QUEEN
With her first two of three blocks at Hofstra, Shakira Austin eclipsed the 200 career block mark.

Austin currently ranks fourth in the SEC and 12th nationally with a total of 217 blocks throughout her four year career.

The senior was a menace against the Crimson Tide, with a season-high seven blocks.

The seven deflections were also the most by any Rebel in a single game this year.

DEFENSE > OFFENSE
The Rebels continue to slow down their opponents at a record pace, as 18 games into the season Ole Miss has held eight opponents under 50 points for a program record.

Ole Miss currently ranks No. 14 nationally in scoring defense and first in the SEC, allowing an average of 53.3 points per game.

The pressure on the opposite side of the ball has proven to be too much, as the Rebels rank first in the conference forcing an average of 20.8 turnovers per game.

NOTHING BUT NET

In the first NET Ranking of the season on Dec. 5, Ole Miss debuted as one of the top-50 programs in the nation at 46.

The Rebels continue to climb, hititng a season-low at No. 27 on Jan. 21 after the road win at Texas A&M.

As SEC play continues, the potential of eight top-50 NET matchups awaits with five top-25 as well.

SHOOTING HER SHOT (PERFECTLY)

Against the Bearcats, Madison Scott's 8-of-8 mark to finish with 18 points accomplished a new Rebel feat.

Scott became the only player at Ole Miss in the last 20 seasons to shoot 1.000 or better with eight or more attempts in a single game.

RUNNING DEEP
The Rebel bench has been instrumental this season, contributing 20 or more points in 15 games.

Angel Baker has been the largest contributor off the bench, averaging 10.3 points per game.

WE'VE GOT A FEW ARTISTS
Throughout the season Ole Miss has continued to make its presence known in the paint, scoring an average of 40.7 points in the paint per game.

Ole Miss has posted a season-high 46 points twice this season at Cincinnati and Mississippi State

OFF THE LINE
Three-point defense has been a point of emphasis during the Coach Yo era, with 64 of 100 opponents being held to five or fewer.

1st Season (2018-19)
17-of-31 (54.8%)

2nd Season (2019-20)
21-of-30 (70.0%)

3rd Season (2020-21)
14-of-22 (63.6 %)

4th Season (2021-22)
13-of-18 (72.2%)

DEFENSE ON LOCK
The Rebels have been unstoppable on the defensive side of the ball, holding their opponents to an average of 53.3 points per game.

The 44 points allowed to the Lady Techsters was the first time since the 2011-2012 season that Ole Miss has kept its opponents under 50 points in back-to-back games. The Rebels followed this up again, keeping San Diego State and Cal under the mark as well.

The Lady Techsters were also held to just a mere 2 points in the second quarter, the fewest amount of points allowed by the Rebels in a quarter since the women's game moved to the format in 2015-2016.

SHARING IS CARING
The Rebels continue to drop dimes at a record pace, recording their eighth 20 plus assist against Texas A&M with 22.

Lashonda Monk tied a career-high with nine against the New Orleans, tying the most in a single-game by a Rebel in 2021.

Against Lamar and MVSU, the Rebels also racked up 24 assists. Against the Devilettes, Reid and Shakira Austin led the team with five a piece, while Austin set a new career-high.

All three outings tied the third most assists in a single game for the Rebels within the last four seasons.

DROPPIN' DIMES

Only 18 games into the season, have written another record into the history books with eight games 20 or more assists, for the most games in a single-season since 1995.

Last season, Ole Miss dished out 20 plus assists in five games, while the program record for the most 20 plus assist games in a single-season is six.

ALL THE WAY UP
Powered by Shakira Austin, the Rebels were absolutely dominant on both sides of the boards, outrebounding their opponents by an average of 20.5 rebounds against Lamar and LA Tech.

The last time the Rebels accomplished this feat was in 2008, out rebounding Alcorn State and Nicholls State by 21 and 22 rebounds a piece.

HOT HANDS x2
Coming off the bench against MVSU, Lashonda Monk and Caitlin McGee combined to go a perfect 10-of-10 from the field.

Monk dropped a then season-high 11 points, while McGee tied her career-high with a total of 13.

The two are the first Rebels to be perfect from the field with five or more attempts since teammate Madison Scott shot 5-of-5 in the season opener against McNeese last season.

RIGHT ON TARGET
In her second game as a Rebel after transferring from Wright State, Angel Baker put on a show against MVSU with a total of 18 points and shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Baker's 80% clip from three was the highest by a Rebel with five or more attempts since Shandricka Sessom went 5-of-6 for 83.3 percent against Delaware State in 2017.

Last season Baker knocked down 43 triples, including her career-high of six against Green Bay.

WE'VE GOT A THIEF!
Against the Bruins, Madison Scott was aggressive defensively finishing with a career-high six steals. This marked the most steals by a Rebel in a single-game since November of 2019 when Valerie Nesbitt tallied six against Pitt.

FOCUSED FROM THE LINE
In the season opener against Belmont, the Rebels shot 12-of-13 from the line, their highest percentage with 10 or more attempts since making 15-of-16 against Florida in the SEC Tournament in 2019.

GROCERY LIST COMPLETE
Yolett McPhee-McCuin and Co. made sure to check everything off their list this off-season, scouring the transfer portal to bring in three new Rebel guards to Oxford. Bringing in more NCAA Tournament experience to the court, all three look to make a strong impact on the hardwood.

Angel Baker - Sr.*- Wright State

Two-time First-Team All Horizon League.

2021 Horizon League Tournament MVP.

Dropped 26 points in the win in First Round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 4 Arkansas.

Grabbed 12 boards against the Razorbacks for her second double-double of the year.

Drained 43 3's in 2020-21, shooting 35.2% from beyond the arc.

Lashonda Monk - Gr. - ECU

Two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year, the first player in conference history to win the award multiple times.

Four-time All-AAC honoree.

Set the ECU single-season steals record with 125 in 2019-20.

Enters the SEC as the active career leader in steals.

Destiny Salary - So. - Tennessee

Reached the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament with the Lady Vols last season.

Appeared in 24 games as a freshman.

Became one of just 45 Lady Vols to score in double-digits in a debut, logging 10 points against Western Kentucky.

No. 57 player and a four-star prospect by ESPN out of Jonesboro High School.

HIGH RESULTS, HIGH EXPECTATIONS
With all five starters from last season returning, the coaches through SEC recognized the potential of this year's Rebs, picking them to finish sixth in the SEC in the preseason coaches poll.

Sixth is the highest preseason ranking by the coaches since the SEC Coaches Poll began predicting order of finish in 2007-08, and the best overall since being picked fifth in the 2005-06 media poll.

Ole Miss was also picked to finish eighth in the SEC Preseason Media Poll, its best in that poll since 2015-16.

Austin also earned herself Preseason All-SEC honors in both polls, adding to her collection of preseason acclaim.

PROOF OF CONCEPT

A strong turnaround season for Ole Miss was rewarded thusly by the SEC coaches, with three Rebels earning all-conference honors following the conclusion of the regular season: Shakira Austin (First-Team All-SEC), Madison Scott (Freshman of the Year, All-Freshman) and Snudda Collins (All-Freshman). The three total team selections (All-SEC, All-Freshman) are the most by a Rebel squad since 1992, and trail only the 1988 team's five members and the 1990 team's four members since the All-Freshman team began in 1987.

OLE MISS EARNS PROGRAM WIN NO. 850

The Rebel win vs. Samford in the First Round of the WNIT marked the 850th win in program history. All-time, Ole Miss is currently 852-583 (.594) in 46 years of NCAA Division I competition. Entering the 2020-21 season, only 44 programs have eclipsed the 850-win threshold.

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

Shakira Austin

Angel Baker

Snudda Collins

Donnetta Johnson

Caitlin McGee

Lashonda Monk

Valerie Nesbitt

Mimi Reid

Destiny Salary

Madison Scott

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