The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

YOLETT McPhee-McCuin continues to lead her Ole Miss Rebels to milestones on their strong start to the season.

Behind another stellar defensive effort, the Rebels won their 12th consecutive game, a 61-53 win over the No.18 ranked South Florida Bulls in their final game of the West Palm Beach Invitational in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The win now pushes the Rebels to the programme’s longest winning streak since the 1991-92 season and was also their first win against a ranked non-conference opponent since 2007.

McPhee-McCuin previously led the Rebels to win over ranked teams against the Kentucky Wildcats, both in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

Defence has been the team’s identity en route to a 12-1 record and have held 10 of those opponents below 55 points.

The Bulls have several signature wins on their tournament résumé, including over the No. 3 Stanford Cardinal and the No.9 Oregon Ducks.

“Our defence wears people down so we don’t really have to press. Because, first of all, I’m going to play at least 10 people,” she said. “So those shots they were making, they didn’t have the legs to make them when they needed to, and that’s because of our defense. And so, if you have to play us the next day, you can’t get rest, and you just play the game; you know you’re in for a fight because we’re going to wear you down for 40 minutes.”

USF fell to 9-4 on the season

The Rebels defence forced 14 turnovers and kept USF scoreless through the first six minutes of the fourth quarter as they pulled away.

With a non conference schedule that opened with a loss to Belmont and concluded with their first win against a ranked team this season, McPhee-McCuin said the series of tests have prepared them for a stacked Southeastern Conference.

“It’s been great for our group,” she said, “We’ve been able to play against a bunch of different styles and I think that has allowed us as a group to bond and figure things out.”

The Rebels will open play in the SEC, on December 30 when they host the Arkansas Razorbacks.

In their first game of 2022 and what is expected to be a litmus test for the programme, Ole Miss will face the no. 1 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks on January 2. The game will be broadcast live at noon on SEC Network/ESPN2.

The Rebels were listed at no.6 in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll, the highest projection in programme history since the conference began the practice in 2007-08.