The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE University of Mississippi Lady Rebels, coached by Bahamian Yolett McPhee-McCuin and featuring sophomore Rhema Collins, pulled off a huge 92-55 win over the Boston College Eagles.

With the victory last night at the Baha Mar resort, witnessed by Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, the Lady Rebels advanced to the final of the Continental Tire Championship game on Wednesday night. 

Ole Miss, which improved to 4-1, will play the UConn Huskies, who won the other game in the series.

For McPhee-McCuin, she was honoured when Baha Mar reached out to her to bring her team to play in the tournament after a previous team entered pulled out.

McPhee-McCuin and the Lady Rebels last played here in 2022 when they lost 69-67 to the Utah Utes on a three-point play.

“It’s good to be back home in the 242,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We always try to represent. It meant a lot to play Rhema. She’s been working very hard and I know the Bahamians have been wondering how she is coming along. As you can see, her best basketball is ahead of her. So we’re grateful for the win. Boston College came in red hot with one loss, but they’ve been kicking everybody’s butts, so we know we would have to be intentional. Once we felt we had the game, it was just a game within the game.”

McPhee-McCuin rode the performance of five players in double figures, led by Kennedy Todd-Williams with a game high 17 points, five assists and three rebounds.

Sira Thienou had 16 points, Kirsten Deans 15, Star Jacobs 12 with 11 rebounds and Ayanns Thompdon 10.

Collins, the 19-year-old former student of Jordan Prince Williams and St John’s College before she went off to the United States to attend the Webb School, came off the bench in the fourth quarter and finished with five points, five rebounds and two assists in 10 minutes of play. 

“I’m not naive. I understand what that would mean to her and she would not lose hope,” said McPhee-McCuin about bringing her into the game. 

“Rhema was stressed out the last two weeks. Whenever you come home and you don’t play, everybody has something to say. So she was stressed out. But I had to tell her to get it out of her head.” 

Boston College was led by Dontavia Waggoner with 13 points and seven rebounds. The other player in double figures was Andrea Daley with 10 points.

The Lady Rebels mixed up their performance going inside and out as they opened a commanding 20-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Eagles didn’t get in double digits until the first three minutes of the second quarter to cut the deficit to 22-10.

Tameiya Sadler hit a buzzer-beating, driving lay up for a 41-23 advantage at the half as Ole Miss took control of the game in their return to The Bahamas. 

Kennedy Todd-Williams paced Ole Miss with 12 points and three rebounds at the half, while Star Jacobs scored six and Kirsten Deans and Ayanna Thompson both had five points.

T’yana Tood was Boston College’s top scorer at the half with seven points.

In the third quarter, Boston College made a slight dent into the lead, but Ole Miss managed to stretch it out to 20 (56-36) with just under four minutes to play in the period.

With 1:27 left in the third and Ole Miss up 63-40, Collins made her debut in the game. She got a block on her first defensive play. The 6-foot, 2-inch forward got open under the basket for her first offensive shot, but they missed her as the Lady Rebels turned the ball over. 

Then with 16.1 seconds, Collins was fouled on an offensive rebound and she hit the first of her two free throws for a 65-42 lead before her team-mate got the rebound on the second miss for a lay up.

Ole Miss went on to hold onto a 66-42 lead at the end of the third.

Collins started the fourth as Ole Miss continued to push the ball with Deans completing a three-point play on a driving lay up for a 71-44 surge.

At 8:01, Collins grabbed an offensive rebound and a put back for a 73-46 lead. And at 7:40, she was fouled on an attempted lay up, missing both, as Ole Miss stayed ahead 73-46.

Two minutes later, Collins got a rebound and made a long outlet pass to Christeen Iwuala for a lay up and a 79-46 lead that forced Boston College to call a timeout.

Driving to the basket at 4:16, Collins passed up a shot for a super pass to Iwuala for a lay up and a 81-46 advantage. 

With 2.29 after struggling a bit, Collins finally converted her pair of free throws for an 87-48 Lady Rebels’ lead.

With 1.21 left with Ole Miss leading 91-55, Collins mde her exit, much to the delight of her team-mates and the Bahamian crowd, who came to cheer on the Nassau native.

“It feels great, but home support is a great thing. I treat it as just another regular game, just take care of business,” Collins stated. 

“I had all my family cheering so that gave me the push and the energy to play as hard as I could.”

Collins said the goal now is to prepare for Wednesday’s championship and hopefully she can get another opportunity to take to the crowd in front of her family and friends.

“They don’t always get to come to the (US) States, so that was inspiring,” Collins said about having them in the stands, adding that “a whole lot” of family and friends came to support her and the Lady Rebels.