OXFORD — Senior forward Tia Faleru had 24 points and 10 rebounds Sunday night to lead the Ole Miss women’s basketball team to a 63-48 victory against Georgia Tech in the second round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament at Tad Smith Coliseum.
The win sets up a rematch against Middle Tennessee State on Thursday night. MTSU beat Arkansas State on Sunday.
“What a great win for our program,” Ole Miss coach Matt Insell said. “I keep saying it, but in year two of our process, not a lot of people thought we would be at this point. Georgia Tech is a very good basketball team, and they have one of the best players in the country on their team.
“I was really proud of the way we came out with energy and how we got going there from the tip. I’m really proud of every one of our basketball players. We’re a growing team and we’re getting better each and every day.”
Faleru had her 14th double-double of the season — 34th of her career — to lead the Rebels (19-13). Erika Sisk (14 points) and Danielle McCray (12) also scored in double figures.
Ole Miss shot 34 percent from the field and 5-for-20 from 3-point range, but it causing 23 turnovers and turning them into 30 points. Ole Miss also held Georgia Tech (19-15) to 34-percent shooting, including 3-for-18 from 3-point range.
The Rebels also held the Yellow Jackets’ leading scorer, Kaela Davis, to seven points. It was Davis’ third game in single figures this season. Davis battled foul trouble throughout and played 18 minutes before fouling out with 7 minutes, 49 seconds left.
“We did a great job defensively,” Insell said. “Kaela Davis is really good. I told our team you have to get her frustrated. A’Queen Hayes played 40 minutes and she guarded her every second she was in the game, and she did a great job of getting her frustrated, which made her commit some ill-advised fouls, and then when she fouled out, we took control of the game.”
In a first half that featured four ties and three lead changes, Ole Miss and Georgia Tech went into halftime tied at 24. Ole Miss opened the game on a 7-1 run, forcing three turnovers and holding Georgia Tech without a made field goal until the 14:45 mark in the first half.
The Yellow Jackets answered back with an 8-0 run to take a 9-7 lead and led for most of the half, before the Rebels made a 6-0 run to re-take a 23-22 lead with 4:07 left. The late run started with pressure on the defensive end as Ole Miss forced 11 first-half turnovers and turned them into 13 points off turnovers.
Senior guard Amber Singletary, freshman forward Kelsey Briggs, and Sisk knocked down three-straight 3-pointers as part of an 11-2 run that turned a 35-32 deficit with 14:42 left into a 41-37 lead with 12:40 left.
“We amped our defense up,” Insell said. “We went back to pressing full court and doing some things with that. We got back to that during the break before postseason play. Erika Sisk and A’Queen Hayes are really good in our press.”
The Rebels led the rest of the way, pushing the lead to 53-43 with 4:53 left.
With the win, the Rebels advance to the Sweet 16 of the Postseason WNIT, where Insell will face his father, Rick Insell, and his father’s Middle Tennessee State team. It will be rematch from a previous regular-season meeting, which the Blue Raiders won 71-65 on Nov. 23 in Oxford.
NOTES: Ole Miss has won four straight games at Tad Smith Coliseum. … Ole Miss has won multiple postseason games for the first time since 2006-07. … Ole Miss has advanced to the third round of the WNIT for the second time, and the first time since 2008-09. … Ole Miss moves to 4-5 in WNIT games and 22-22 all-time in postseason games, including a 3-0 mark in postseason games at Tad Smith Coliseum. … Ole Miss is one win away from its first 20-win season since 2006-07, … Ole Miss won the first meeting all-time between the schools and moves to 14-14 all-time against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference. … Ole Miss forced 20 or more turnovers for the 18th time this season. … Faleru scored in double figures for the eighth-straight game. … For Faleru, it was her seventh 20-point game this season and the 18th of her career.
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