OXFORD — Ole Miss has made it a point of emphasis to dictate and disrupt games this season. On Sunday, the Alabama Crimson Tide made sure that would not happen.
Ole Miss had trouble playing on its own terms in the contest, losing to No. 18 Alabama 84-78 at the SJB Pavilion. Aaliyah Nye had 32 points for the Crimson Tide while Zaay Green had 27.
“Their seniors took matters into their own hands,” Rebels coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said. “Zay Green and Aaliyah Nye was just phenomenal.”
The duo combined for 11 three-pointers. The Crimson Tide shot 63% from three and 56% from the field.
Ole Miss (11-5, 2-2) came out of the gate swinging, taking a 14-5 lead with 5:38 left in the first quarter. Two straight Crimson Tide layups got them going offensively.
The Rebels were able to keep them at bay until the second quarter, when Alabama took a two-point lead with 6:54 to go. A three by Teiyana Sadler put the Rebels back up, but Alabama (16-2, 3-1) kept rolling, ending the second quarter on an 8-0 run and taking a 31-27 lead into halftime.
Ole Miss began to chip away in the third quarter, eventually making it a three-point game with 6:46 left. JeAnna Cunningham countered with a layup, followed by another trey from Nye.
It was one of four three-pointers made by the Crimson Tide in the third. The Rebels, meanwhile, had five turnovers.
The Rebels came into Sunday allowing just 49.1 points per game. The best mark in the country. Alabama’s 84 points were the most the Rebels have allowed in a game all season.
Ole Miss’s inability to dictate or disrupt, especially on the defensive end, was something McPhee-McCuin felt came from an uncompetitive effort.
“In today’s time, in today’s coaching, you can’t make people do anything,” she said. “They have to want it. They have to want to compete, and they got to want to win.”
Ole Miss played a more aggressive defense in the fourth quarter, but the Crimson Tide offense was too much to overcome. Starr Jacobs led the Rebels with a season-high 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Madison Scott eclipsed 1,500 career points. She becomes the eighth Rebel in program history to do so.
The Rebels are now 0-5 when allowing 60 or more points this season. The team is 11-0 when it allows fewer than 60.
Ole Miss hosts Florida on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. on the SEC Network.
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