One Mississippi team is advancing after round one of the NCAA Women’s Tournament.
Ole Miss, a No. 7 seed, took down No. 10 Marquette, 67-55, on Saturday behind a big performance from Madison Scott. The back-and-forth affair ended when the Rebels outscored the Golden Eagles 18-9 in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Scott finished with a career-high 20 points in a postseason game. The senior added six rebounds and four assists. Tyia Singleton, in her first game back in the starting lineup, dropped a season-high 12 points and seven rebounds. Kennedy Todd-Williams (15 points) and Kharyssa Richardson (10 points) joined in the double-digit scoring column.
While the Rebels were balanced offensively, it was the defense that shut Marquette down when needed and allowed the team to advance to the second round of March Madness for the second year in a row. Ole Miss outrebounded its opponent 43-33 while adding eight steals and 13 points off turnovers.
Next up for the Rebels will be a Monday game against No. 2 seed and host Notre Dame. If head coach Yolett McPhee McCuin’s squad finds a way to take down the Irish, it will be her team’s second Sweet 16 appearance in a row – something that hasn’t been done in over three decades in Oxford. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT on ESPN.
As for the other Mississippi team who went dancing this year, No. 14 seed Jackson State was not able to overcome a tough draw against No. 3 seed UConn.
The Tigers were outmatched early by Geno Auriemma and his blueblood program as the Huskies jumped out to a 20-8 lead after one quarter of play and never looked back. The final score from Storrs, Conn., was 86-64. Ti’lan Boler led the Jackson State’s side of the stat sheet with 25 points while UConn’s Paige Bueckers, Ashlynn Shade, and Aaliyah Edwards combined for 74 points.