No. 19 Ole Miss women basketball demonstrated their resilience on Thursday night, overcoming a sluggish first half to defeat North Alabama 72-51 in Oxford, Mississippi. The Rebels (2-0) trailed 14-11 after the first quarter and were still behind 27-25 at the halftime break, but they transformed their performance in the second half. The turning point arrived early in the third quarter when Talaysia Cooper hit a crucial three-pointer to give Ole Miss its first sustained lead, 33-31. From that momentum, the Rebels never looked back, executing a decisive 7-0 run led by Jaida Civil’s free throws to extend the advantage to 48-38.
Jada Richard’s 17 points powered a dominant second-half surge that silenced the Lions.
Jada Richard anchored the offensive effort with a team-high 17 points, while Civil contributed 15 and Doneelah Washington added 13. The statistical shift in shooting efficiency highlighted the Rebels’ second-half dominance; Ole Miss shot just 32% from the field in the first half but exploded for 68% in the second. Furthermore, the Rebels doubled their interior scoring output, moving from 16 points in the paint before the break to 32 after, effectively dismantling North Alabama’s defensive strategy.
North Alabama (0-2) struggled to contain the offensive surge, committing 30 turnovers that allowed Ole Miss to capitalize on fast-break opportunities. Although Emma Deste led the Lions with 13 rebounds and the visitors held a 36-29 advantage on the boards, their inability to protect the ball proved costly. The game was effectively decided when Mississippi scored the final three points of the third quarter and the first 13 of the fourth, stretching the lead to 64-39 and securing a comfortable victory in their season opener.
Source: Yahoo Sports
