On3 Things to Know: Ole Miss must shake off missed opportunity as Florida comes to town

The Ole Miss women’s basketball team had the chance to snag a big road win at Tennessee on Thursday but the chance went by the wayside in Knoxville. The loss is not a killer for the Rebels, but it was one that could have gone a long way.

With less than a month remaining in the regular season plenty of chances remaining for Ole Miss (18-5, 7-3 Southeastern Conference), including a game on Sunday with Florida coming to Oxford.

Still, the loss to the Volunteers is one that is going to sting and linger with Rebels head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. The double-bye in next month’s SEC Women’s Tournament is still in play for Ole Miss who remained in fourth place of the standings despite the loss.

“I just talked to (the team) about it,” McCuin said after Thursday’s game. “My message to them was I just hate we didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. We held Tennessee to 28 points in the half and we don’t capitalize on it. …So I hate that. My message was I’m just glad that’s not our last game of the season because this would have been a really lame way to go out.”

Ole Miss still has six more regular season games to bounce back, starting with the Gators.

Lets take a closer look at the upcoming matchup, with game notes provided by Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations.

OLE MISS SERIES HISTORY VS. GATORS

In a back-and-forth series between the two schools, Florida holds the all-time edge by three games at 24-21.

Ole Miss has claimed the last two meetings against UF, winning both matchups in 2021-22 in Gainesville and at the SEC Tournament. The Rebels last defeated Florida in Oxford back in 2019 with a 76-66 victory.

A third straight win for the Rebels against the Gators would set the longest streak in the series since Ole Miss won eight straight from 1979-92.

OLE MISS SCOUTING THE GATORS

Under second year head coach Kelly Rae Finley, the Gators carry  a 14-8 record coming off of a win against Texas A&M from Gainesville on Thursday.

Following non-conference play, UF racked up an 11-2 record before hitting the grind of SEC play. With a 3-6 record in conference, UF boasts two wins over A&M and one over Vanderbilt. 

Beyond the arc, KK Deans is one of the conference’s best sharpshooters ranking fourth from deep at 38.7%. She currently averages 2.1 triples per game. Against the Aggies on Thursday, the Gators were dominant on the boards with Ra Shaya Kyle pulling down a career-best 17 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipEDMp9Rdao

GO OFF QUE

Since jumping back into the starting lineup the last four games, Marquesha Davis has tallied double-digit outings in each one of them.

Davis is currently averaging 14.3 points per game as a starter in SEC play, on the season she is averaging 9.3 points overall.

GO FOR DEEP — OR DON’T

It’s a proven stat that the Rebs defend the three ball well, ranking fourth in the nation while holding its opponents to 24.2% from beyond the arc. 

The Rebels have limited Auburn and Texas A&M to its season lowest from three and Mississippi State and Alabama to its SEC game lowest.

HOT HANDS EQUAL DUBS

When the Rebels find themselves in a groove, the wins are bound to happen. This season when Ole Miss shoots above 40% in a game, the Rebels are bound to win at 16-0.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS

Dubbed as the “offensive” and “defensive” point guards by McPhee-McCuin, Angel Baker and Myah Taylor prove it on the court as one of the most experienced duos in the nation.

Ole Miss is one of 14 programs in the country to have two players with more than 134 games played each.