OXFORD — Freshman guard Sira Thienou scored 22 points in the first half Thursday night against Florida and finished with a career-high 29 overall as the Rebels beat the Gators 94-69 at SJB Pavilion.
Senior forward Starr Jacobs scored 13 of her 19 points in the second half for the Rebels (12-5, 3-2 SEC), who shot 53% from the field in the game and made 7 of 17 from 3-point range.
The Rebels dropped their first home game of the season Sunday to No. 19 Alabama. Thursday was a welcomed step back toward to the norm, for Thienou included. Thienou scored eight points in the loss to the Crimson Tide, her first time finishing in single-digit scoring since Dec. 5.
“Sira’s a freshman, so you have to give freshmen grace. You can’t rely on freshmen all the time … It’s a hard thing to do,” Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said. “ … The fact that she’s been dominating for this long and then had a bad game, we didn’t think too much into it. She’s a winner and she’s a competitor.”
The Rebels jumped out to a 12-6 lead behind eight early points from Thienou, who surpassed the 200-point mark for the season. Ole Miss led by three after the first quarter and began the second on a 10-2 run. Thienou scored 14 points in the second — she made six field goals in the period compared to four for the Gators (11-8, 2-3) — and the Rebels led 42-33 at half.
“(Thienou’s) our (SEC) Freshman of the Year,” Jacobs said. “The first time Sira got here, we all knew she was going to be Freshman of the Year. … We just cheer her on and get her in her spots.”
A 14-1 Rebels run early in the third — and nine points from Jacobs — helped push the lead to 23 heading to the fourth. Jacobs has scored at least 10 points in seven of the last eight games. Senior guard Kennedy Todd-Williams finished with 12 points and junior forward Kharyssa Richardson scored 10.
Guard Jeriah Warren led the Gators with 19 points.
“I don’t think we win without (Jacobs),” McPhee-McCuin said. “She is dynamite, and she’s been playing well for a while now. She brings a level of toughness, she’s super skilled. This is a young lady that was two-time player of the year in two different conferences. So, she knows how to play. She’s just getting comfortable with playing in the SEC, and I expect her to continue to flourish.”
Ole Miss plays at Mississippi State Sunday at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
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