Previewing the Lady Rebels’ matchup with Tennessee
Ole Miss is on her way to Knoxville to compete against a well-trained, hard-working team of volunteers from Tennessee. The Lady Rebels have a chance to overtake Tennessee for third place in the SEC after Sunday’s big win against Arkansas, and that’s exactly what coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and her players are aiming for.
Tennessee comes away with back-to-back losses to No. 3 LSU and No. 5 UConn. The Lady Vols have played four other ranked opponents, Ohio State, Indiana, Virginia Tech and Stanford, along with Gonzaga, who was unranked at the time but currently sits 17th. Tennessee is winless in all of these matchups.
Ole Miss has losses against Utah and Oklahoma, which ranked 7th and 20th, respectively, in the last AP poll. However, the Rebels also have heavy losses against unranked Alabama and Auburn.
Both teams are constantly looking for a season-defining win.
Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper has her team run one of the most efficient, fastest, and versatile offenses in the SEC. Your team is averaging 76.58 points per game, ranking third in the conference.
The Vols are led by Mississippi State’s Rickea Jackson, who is averaging 17.7 points per game.
It’s no secret that it can be difficult to keep them cool when Tennessee heats up. Luckily for Ole Miss, it defends the three-point shot better than almost anyone else in the country. The Rebels keep their opponents behind the arc at just 24.6% and rank sixth in all of women’s college basketball.
Defense will be a huge key to success for the Rebels, especially as they are 16-0 when keeping opponents below 60 points. On the offensive side of the ball, however, Ole Miss can create a breakup against this very good Tennessee squad.
The Rebels are a perfect 16-0 when shooting over 40% from the field, so players like Angel Baker, Snudda Collins, Madison Scott, and Destiny Salary need to have good nights of shooting.
McPhee-McCuin has got her roster rolling again after key wins over state rivals Mississippi State and on the road against Arkansas. The Lady Rebels are playing their best basketball of the season, and they need to be at that level to win.
This one-game thriller takes place today at 5:30 p.m. CST and can be viewed on SEC Network +.
With a 4-1 SEC record in away games, Ole Miss wants to play spoiler against another home team, but Tennessee is a different beast, so the Rebels need to stay balanced and focused in a hostile environment like Thompson-Boling Arena.
