OXFORD — As she looked up at the crowd of more than 6,500 fans at SJB Pavilion on Sunday afternoon, Ole Miss women’s basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin couldn’t help but think back to days of yesteryear, when games like the one that was currently unfolding against top-ranked South Carolina didn’t seem possible.
And while her team ultimately came up short against the defending national champions, McPhee-McCuin couldn’t help but get emotional when discussing that packed arena. Because it was a sign of just how far the Rebels have come the last five years, when the idea of beating a top-five team was nothing more than a dream.
Ole Miss took top-ranked South Carolina to overtime Sunday in a back-and-forth game that featured seven ties, big shot after big shot and momentum swing after momentum swing but ultimately fell 64-57.
The Rebels were oh so close to making history.
“First time I played South Carolina here, we may have had 500 people. Nobody was in the Pavilion. And the only reason why I remember (is) because I was embarrassed because, like I told y’all, I looked up to (South Carolina head coach) Dawn Staley. And I know she’s built something and I’m trying to build something, and you have 500 fans,” McPhee-McCuin said. “And today, to hear the fans, and they were so engaged, and they almost took us to the W. I love Ole Miss. I have a lot of pride being a part of the Oxford community, and I have a lot of pride being the head coach here. So, this was just an incredible atmosphere.
“And at the end of the day, someone had to lose. I hate it’s us, but it was good for the game of basketball. And I think it shows people that we’re a program to be reckoned with.”
Rebels senior guard Angel Baker hit a go-ahead jump shot with 1:20 left in the fourth quarter and, after South Carolina star Aliyah Boston missed three of four free throws, the game was tied at 55 and the shot clock turned off for Ole Miss.
The Rebels turned the ball over with 1.5 seconds left on the clock, however, giving the Gamecocks one last chance at the buzzer. Boston missed a jumper as time expired, sending the game to overtime.
The defending national champion Gamecocks outscored Ole Miss 9-2 in overtime.
“Had (Marquesha Davis) kept her balance and even kept the ball in bounds, maybe we have a chance, and we just lost an opportunity there, you know?” McPhee-McCuin said. “Look, they hadn’t lost a game all year. So if you’re going to beat them, you have to beat them when you can, and I just hate that we couldn’t get them right there at the end, you know? I thought, in overtime, their experience just burst onto the scene. They’ve been on the big stage, man. So, it took over.”
The Rebels (20-7, 9-5 Southeastern Conference) took every punch the top-ranked Gamecocks had to offer in the first half and hit right back, trailing by just a point at halftime. Defense ruled early, with South Carolina (27-0, 14-0 SEC) and Ole Miss shooting 34 percent and 36 percent, respectively. The Rebels forced six turnovers in the opening two quarters and held Boston — the reigning National Player of the Year — to three points on 1 of 3 from the field.
Ole Miss tied the game at 31, 33 and 36 and 38-all in the third quarter. The Gamecocks looked as if they were going to break the game open in the fourth, leading by as many as six. But the Rebels kept responding, cutting the deficit back down to two on a Snudda Collins layup with less than five minutes to play.
Baker kissed one in perfectly off the glass on a fastbreak with 2:34 to play to again cut the South Carolina lead to one and later gave Ole Miss the lead with her jumper. Boston missed three straight free throws before making one with 30 seconds to play to tie the game.
On the Rebels’ final possession of regulation, Davis turned the ball over out of bounds right under the basket, allowing the Gamecocks to advance to halfcourt for one final shot. Boston’s attempt rimmed out, sending the game to overtime.
South Carolina flexed its muscles in the extra period, hitting 4 of 6 shots from the field. Senior guard Zia Cooke scored five of her game-high 24 points in overtime. The Rebels made just one field goal in overtime.
Baker led Ole Miss with 17 points and was joined by Collins in double-figure scoring (11). Boston finished with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Coming so close to pulling off a historic win and falling agonizingly short is going to hurt. McPhee-McCuin wore those emotions on her sleeve postgame. But the tears she began to shed at the podium weren’t ones of despair. Quite the opposite, in fact.
They were signs of hope. Signs of how far the program had come — the Rebels went 0-16 in SEC play in 2019-20 and made their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007 last season. And, above all else, signs of much room there was still left to grow.
“This is why I’m here. This is what I want to do,” McPhee-McCuin said. “There’s only three teams we hadn’t beat in my tenure here: South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee. They’re on my little board. And we had an opportunity tonight.
“So, obviously it hurts because I thought we could win. And, maybe a year ago, I didn’t think we could win.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
