Ole Miss vs Mississippi State | SEC | 2.18.24

OXFORD, Miss. – February 18th, 2024

Written by OleMissSports.com

Facing an eight point deficit with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Ole Miss women's basketball forced overtime for the second game in a row to defeat Mississippi State, 75-71 from the SJB Pavilion on Sunday. The Rebels have now won in overtime in back-to-back games for the first time in program history.

Ole Miss (18-7, 8-4 SEC) shows no refusal to quit, erasing yet another deficit for the second game in a row to go on and earn its third consecutive win in Oxford over Mississippi State (20-7, 7-5.) The trio of Marquesha Davis, Madison Scott and Kennedy Todd-Williams continues to shine, with the three combining for 53 points.

Reaching double-digit scoring for the fourth game in a row, Scott led all scorers with 20 points and added nine rebounds along with three assists. Ole Miss' most consistent scorer in Davis, tallied 17 points and stuffed the stat sheet with six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Snagging her fourth career double-double and first in a Rebel uniform, Todd-Williams posted 16 points along with grabbing a season-best 11 rebounds. She also tied Zakiya Stephenson with a team-best five assists.

A dominant force off the glass, Rita Igbokwe tied a team season-best with 14 rebounds. Igbokwe also added 11 points for her second double-double of the season.

Todd-Williams opened play with a triple in Ole Miss' first possession, as the Rebels proved they were rearing to go in rivalry action. Finding its way to the charity stripe early, the Rebels jumped out to an 18-6 lead within the first four minutes. Firing back, Mississippi State closed the gap to four as Ole Miss remained on top, 22-18 through the first.

Making the third start of her career, Stephenson stepped up to the task by draining her fourth three of the season to begin the second quarter. The Rebels worked to extend its lead on the inside through the efforts of Igbokwe and Scott, yet the Bulldogs remained just as aggressive at the opposite end. A scoring drought on both ends ensued until both teams traded back-to-back buckets as Ole Miss remained on top at the half, 38-32.

As Mississippi State forced a one possession game early on in the third, Ole Miss battled to maintain its slight advantage. Despite a slow stretch of reaching the basket, the Rebels remained ahead due to the scoring of its starting five. With help from the three-ball, Mississippi State took its first lead of the game with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. With 10 minutes left to play, Mississippi State held a one possession advantage at 52-49.

Charging back after trailing by eight with five minutes remaining, a Davis floater forced a two point-game at 63-61 with less than a minute remaining. By holding the Bulldogs scoreless the final two minutes of play, the Rebels provided itself with a chance at the final shot to force overtime. Who else but fourth-year Rebel Scott to hit a layup with three-seconds on the clock to send the game to overtime for the second outing in a row.

Hitting a 7-0 run in overtime, the Rebels could feel the energy swinging their way. Out-scoring Mississippi State, 12-8 in the extra five minutes secured the comeback victory once again for Ole Miss, 75-71.

With only four regular season games remaining, the Rebels remain in Oxford and welcome Georgia to the SJB Pavilion on Thursday (Feb. 22) for their second meeting of the year. Tip against the Bulldogs is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, streaming on SEC Network +.

Follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on X at @YolettMcCuin