OXFORD — Behind a record-setting game from junior guard Gracie Frizzell, the Ole Miss women’s basketball team cruised to a 77-63 victory against Alabama on Sunday afternoon at Tad Smith Coliseum.
“She’s playing her best basketball of career,” Ole Miss coach Matt Insell said of Frizzell. “Our team needs her to shoot the basketball, and shoot it with confidence. When she does that, we’re really, really good, and she did that today. I’m really happy for her.”
Making her first start of the season in place of injured freshman guard Shandricka Sessom, Frizzell made eight 3-pointers and scored a career-high 24 points. The 3-pointers were the most by a Southeastern Conference player this season, and the most in a game in program history.
Frizzell was 8 of 12 from 3-point range to help Ole Miss (13-4, 3-1 SEC) shoot 48 percent (10 of 21) from behind the arc. The 10 treys are the most the Rebels have made in a game this season. The shooting percentage also was a team high.
“I knew going into the game I was going to need to step up and hit some shots because (Shandricka) is out, and she’s a huge part of this team, offensively and defensively,” Frizzell said. “The confidence my teammates instilled in me really helped me.”
Senior forward Tia Faleru had 19 points and nine rebounds to finish one rebound shy of her sixth straight double-double. Freshman guard A’Queen Hayes and sophomore guard Erika Sisk added 10 points.
Ole Miss opened the first half on a 12-0 run and didn’t allow Alabama (11-8, 0-4 SEC) to score until the 14-minute, 49-second mark. It ended the second half on an 11-0 run and held the Crimson Tide scoreless for the final 6:24 of the half.
Coming out of halftime, Frizzell made four 3-pointers in a 16-6 run to push the lead to 47-23 by the first media timeout. The Rebels shot 61.9 percent (13 of 21) from the field and 66.7 percent (4 of 6) from 3-point range in the second half. The led by as many as 29 points.
“When Gracie makes shots, we get going really well because we depend on her to make shots,” Insell said. “She’s one of our few 3-point shooters. Most of our other players are really good at driving it to the rim. When she’s on the floor, if they help, opportunity finds her. If they don’t help, we can usually get a lay-up at the rim. She’s a huge weapon for our basketball team.”
The win helped push Ole Miss to its best start since the 2006-07 season, when it started 16-4 en route to an Elite Eight appearance. The 3-1 start in the SEC is the program’s best since 2009-10, when it started league play 4-1.
Ole Miss will play host to No. 20 Georgia at 6 p.m. Thursday. The game will be broadcast by SEC Network+.
“Georgia is ranked in the top 20 in the country, and you get a chance to get them on your home court, and you get a chance when you have a lot of momentum going within your team and your team is playing well,” Insell said. “Thursday night is huge, not only because it’s the next game, but it’s a statement game.”
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