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TOO SWEET: Thienou shines, Ole Miss women’s basketball advances in NCAA Tournament

Ben Garrettby:Ben Garrett•03/23/25•

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Ole Miss women's basketball is on to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament (Photo credit: Ole Miss women's basketball/X)

The present and future were both on full display for Ole Miss women’s basketball as the Rebels moved on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 5 seed Ole Miss (22-10) secured its second Sweet 16 appearance in the last three seasons with a 69-63 win over 4-seed Baylor (28-8). The Rebels made the Sweet 16 just once in the 25 seasons prior to the arrival of now-seventh-year head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.

Ole Miss is out of the first two rounds for the 12th time in 22 postseason chances. The Rebels beat Ball State in the opening round.

SEC All-Freshman guard Sira Thienou led the Rebels with 16 points. However, she wasn’t alone. Madison Scott, a fifth-year senior, chipped in 14. 

The Rebels forced a season-high 21 turnovers and dominated the fourth quarter. The teams were tied at 48 apiece after three. Ole Miss opened the fourth with a 6-0 run and never trailed again.

Baylor tied the game at 61-61 with 1:05 remaining.

Scott made a jumper and KK Deans sank a clutch 3 and six free throws in the final two minutes to put the game on ice. Five Rebels had five rebounds or more. 

“Sira’s amazing,” Scott said previously of Thienou. “She comes in every day and she’s expected to do things that a lot of freshman aren’t expected to do. Some days are hard. Some days she feels it more than others. But each and every day she comes out and gives her all for her teammates. 

“She comes out and gives her all because this is her last time getting an opportunity to play with me, (Kennedy Todd-Williams), Tam(eiya Sadler), Starr (Jacobs) and KK. She is absolutely phenomenal. There’s not even enough words I can say to really describe Sira. I just know that I feel great leaving Ole Miss knowing she’s up next. She works her butt off. I know she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come in this league.”

Ole Miss will next either play No. 1 seed UCLA or No. 8 Richmond Friday in Spokane, Washington.

Thienou passed program great Armintie Price for the second-most steals (77) by an Ole Miss freshman in school history. She’s within earshot of all-time leader Alisa Scott (81).

“The reason Sira’s going to be good is because she has five orders sisters in the seniors that have been carrying her along the way,” McPhee-McCuin, who improved to 5-3 in the NCAA Tournament at Ole Miss, said. 

“That’s a credit to them.”

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