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Ole Miss women's basketball struggles again to close out a game in loss to No. 15 Oklahoma

11by:Jake Thompson•about 10 hours•

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Ole Miss forward Cristeen Iwuala. Mandatory credit: Ole Miss athletics

Once again the Ole Miss women’s basketball team had a chance to get its first home win over a ranked opponent this season and once again the final minutes of the game became its undoing.

Trailing by as many as 15 in the first half the Rebels managed to rally, and take a lead, over No. 15 Oklahoma but then the Sooners snatched victory from the jaw of defeat in a 66-56 win on Thursday.

With seven minutes to go Ole Miss (15-7, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) held a seven-point lead before Oklahoma (17-6, 5-5) went on a 22-5 run to close out the game. The Rebels got it back to within a point three different times those final minutes, tying the game once, but never re-gained the lead.

“I didn’t even know who that team was,” Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said of the opening quarter. “We’ve had a lot of really good practices. Everybody knew what to do. So, not sure.”

This is the second time in the last week and a half the Rebels let a win slip away. They had the chance to upset No. 7 Texas but let the Longhorns pull away in the final quarter. The last 10 minutes of a game in key matchups has been an issue.

“Leadership. Leadership,” was all McCuin said when asked what the common thread in those two games.

When expounding McCuin put it on the shoulders of her senior forward Madison Scott. She finished with 12 points, two assists, two steals and one rebound. The seventh-year Ole Miss coach needs more from her veteran.

“Our leader is Madison Scott. When Maddie comes out aggressive, we’re aggressive,” McCuin said. “She didn’t come out aggressive in the first quarter for some reason and I don’t know why because she’s been practicing really well. From then everybody else usually follows, but I want to say this, too. We’re at the part of the season where other people have to step up, too.”

Starr Jacobs led Ole Miss with 15 points, Christeen Iuwala added 11 points and freshman guard Sira Thienou finished with 10 points to join Scott in double figures.

Next up for the Rebels is a home game against No. 11 Kentucky (19-2, 8-1) on Monday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

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