2 weeks Ago By Colby Colwell, Yardbarker
The Ole Miss women recorded their second win in program history over a top 10 opponent on Monday night with a 66-57 win over No. 8 Kentucky. DOWN GOES NO.
8 !!️ @OleMissWBB secure the Top-10 UPSET WIN over Kentucky #NCAAWBB pic.twitter.com/MuZ7zqPYlK While the Rebels faced a 37-31 halftime deficit, they tightened up their defense in the second half, holding Kentucky to 20 points.
A major key to Ole Miss' success was its rebounding. The Rebels outrebounded the Wildcats, 54-33, and nearly had as many offensive rebounds (27) as Kentucky had total rebounds. Ole Miss held Kentucky to only four offensive rebounds, which speaks to its ability to create one-and-done possessions for Kentucky all night long.
The rebounding was crucial toward the upset win, given Ole Miss only went 25-of-77 from the floor and 2-of-14 (14.3%) from deep. Senior guard Madison Scott led the team with 22 points.
Ole Miss grabbed a 48-47 lead prior to the end of the third quarter with this wide-open three from senior guard Kennedy Todd-Williams. Can't leave @Ktoddwilli open #NCAAWBB x ESPN2 / @olemisswbb pic.twitter.
com/XnKtvG2jxV This pinpoint pass from Todd-Williams to senior forward Starr Jacobs for a layup under the basket extended Ole Miss' lead to 61-55 with two minutes to play. STARR. JACOBS.
#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/0Nt9fCfhul Kentucky actually had more points in the opening quarter (22) than it had the entire second half (20).
Aside from the huge disadvantage on the boards, Kentucky only made four threes the whole game. During its three-game winning streak before Monday's loss, the Wildcats hit a total of 36 threes during that span. Junior forward Teonni Key had a team-high 18 points while senior guard Georgia Amoore was held to 15 points (7-of-16 FG), one game removed from posting a career-high 43 points against then-No.
13 Oklahoma on Feb. 2. Going into a top 10 showdown against No.
3 Texas on Thursday, Kentucky (19-3, 8-2 SEC) must put a more complete game together, which starts with getting more rebounds. Ole Miss (16-7, 7-4 SEC) more than had its way on the glass Monday night. While the 27-4 advantage on offensive rebounds will be difficult to replicate, Ole Miss proved it can win even if the shots are not falling consistently.
Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family.
