Rebel Rewind: Ole Miss on Sunday made history and rallied for a Top 4 seed in the SEC Tournament
Ole Miss women’s basketball earned the four-seed and an automatic double-bye to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals with its comeback, 57-55 win over Alabama on Sunday.
The Rebels will face off against the winner of Game 4 (Mississippi State vs. TBD) of the tournament — which is set to be held in Greenville, South Carolina, starting Friday and run through March 5.
“Hard-fought victory, as expected,” said Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, who’s on the verge of taking the Rebels to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time in nearly a decade.
Ole Miss has reached the NCAA Tournament 18 times in school history but just once since 2007. The Rebels that year matched the program’s best-ever mark by reaching the Elite Eight. Ole Miss was bounced by South Dakota in the first round last season.
McPhee-McCuin continued, “We believe in each other. There were moments where (Alabama) broke us — moments of a young, immature team. I challenged them, ‘We cannot respond this way in the last game of the season (and) knowing what we’re trying to do,’ which is build momentum for the SEC Tournament and get better so we can play in the NCAA Tournament.
“I can take losing, but not the fashion we were getting ready to do. They responded.”
ESPN currently projects Ole Miss as a seven-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Rebels are matched up with No. 10 seed Miami in College Park, Maryland. Maryland — as a two-seed — is the highest-seeded team in the Rebels’ section of the bracket.
Ole Miss is now 22-7 on the year after rallying to win the regular-season finale. The Rebels are 11-5 in the SEC — tied for the most wins in conference play in school history. Marquesha Davis had a career-high day in leading the Rebels over Alabama. She scored 26 points, including four free throws in the final minute.
Ole Miss finished Top 4 in the SEC for the 11th time in program history.
Hear more from Coach Yo in a press conference video below provided by Ole Miss Athletics. Also included is a partial ESPN projection of Ole Miss’ quadrant of the the NCAA Tournament bracket.
