‘We plan to use this as motivation’: Notre Dame ends Ole Miss’ season; Todd-Williams to return
An historic 2023-24 season for Ole Miss women’s basketball came to an abrupt end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday.
The Rebels have become an every-year contender under sixth-year head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. They’ve done so by embracing their defense-first, ‘Dictate and Disrupt’ style.
However, the seventh-seeded Rebels (24-9) simply had no answers for two-seed Notre Dame (29-6) in a 71-56 loss.
“I just want to congratulate Notre Dame,” McPhee-McCuin said during her postgame press conference. “I thought they controlled the game from start to finish. You never want these moments to be the way they are, especially when you’re on the losing end (and) don’t think your team displayed what they needed to display for 40 minutes.”
Notre Dame was ahead by double-digit points after the first quarter and had a commanding 43-26 lead at halftime.
Ole Miss put up more of a fight in the second half but still never really came close. Notre Dame shot 50 percent from the floor — tied for the best shooting percentage (with LSU) for an opponent against Ole Miss this season. The Rebels got no closer than 13. They had 22 turnovers.
“Nevertheless, super proud of our group and grateful for this opportunity and experience,” McPhee-McCuin continued. “Just recently three, four years ago, we were 0-6 (in the SEC) and now we’ve put ourselves in a situation where we expect to go to at least a Sweet Sixteen every year.
“So, really disappointed as far as that’s concerned, but not disappointed with the team and what we’ve accomplished this season.”
Team 49's journey comes to an end 💔 pic.twitter.com/tsIF27vTF3
— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) March 25, 2024
Ole Miss won a program-record 12 SEC games this season for a third-place conference finish.
The Rebels reached the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season — a feat they last pulled off from 1994-96. They beat 10-seed Marquette in the opening round.
This was their 20th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance.
“We’re just going to get better and work,” Ole Miss veteran forward Madison Scott said. She and Kennedy Todd-Williams each had 15 points apiece.
Scott confirmed Todd-Williams, a transfer from North Carolina, intends to return to Ole Miss next season. Todd-Williams closed out the year with 10 straight games scoring double-digit points.
“This is hard. It hurts. It’s going to be on our minds for a while. But we got to get back in the lab and continue to build. Like coach said, we’re a program now that we’re expected to go to the tournament every year. Fell short. Me and (Todd-Williams) are both returning. We plan to use this as motivation.”
