Eighth-seeded Ole Miss defeated ninth-seeded Gonzaga 71-48 in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament. Ole Miss relied on their signature defense to limit Gonzaga’s scoring and secure their first NCAA Tournament win since 2007. The Rebels’ next challenge will be against top-seeded Stanford on their home court in the Sweet Sixteen. Ole Miss is determined to erase the memory of last season’s first-round loss and continue building on consecutive 20-win seasons.
The Rebels’ Madison Scott and Angel Baker each scored 11 points, with Scott adding 10 rebounds and Baker grabbing five boards. Led by Snudda Collins’ 15 points, Ole Miss held WCC Player of the Year Kaylynne Truong to only six points on 2-of-9 shooting. Despite coming into the game with a 42 percent shooting accuracy from beyond the arc, Gonzaga struggled to convert any of their 17 three-point attempts. Yvonne Ejim scored 19 points and eight rebounds for the Zags, but her teammates were unable to get going.
The Rebels will face a tough challenge against the top-ranked Stanford team, who defeated Sacred Heart 92-49 in their first game of the tournament. Ole Miss’ success has been built on their defensive prowess, holding opponents to an average of only 56.8 points per game.
Eighth-seeded Ole Miss triumphed over No. 9 seed Gonzaga 71-48 in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament on Friday night. Ole Miss relied on its signature defense to limit the Zags to just 48 points, the lowest in their season, and to secure the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2007. The Rebels’ next challenge will be against No. 1 seed Stanford on their home court in the Sweet Sixteen.
Led by Snudda Collins’ 15 points, Ole Miss held the WCC Player of the Year Kaylynne Truong to only six points on 2-of-9 shooting. The Rebels’ Madison Scott and Angel Baker each scored 11 points, with Scott adding 10 rebounds and Baker grabbing five boards. Ole Miss also dominated the offensive rebounds, grabbing 24 to ensure second-chance opportunities.
Despite coming into the game with a 42 percent shooting accuracy from beyond the arc, Gonzaga struggled to convert any of their 17 three-point attempts. Yvonne Ejim scored 19 points and eight rebounds for the Zags, but her teammates were unable to get going. Brynna Maxwell, who had the second-best 3-point shooting percentage in the country, went 0-for-5 from deep and 1-of-10 overall, scoring only four points.
The Rebels are eager to move on from last year’s first-round loss to South Dakota and build on consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time under coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. The team has held opponents to an average of only 56.8 points per game and has a perfect record of 21-0 when holding teams to 60 points or fewer. Ole Miss’ next opponent, Stanford, defeated Sacred Heart 92-49 in their first game of the tournament.
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