Women’s Basketball Completes Successful Comeback Against Missouri
OXFORD, Miss. – Despite a 10-point halftime deficit, Ole Miss women’s basketball staged an impressive comeback to defeat Missouri, 68-66, on Sunday at the SJB Pavilion.
The Rebels (18-8, 9-5 SEC) used a 38-point second half to claim their victory over the Tigers (13-16, 2-12 SEC). This is the first time Ole Miss has completed a comeback after trailing by double-digits in the first half since Jan. 29, 2023, when it came back from a 19-point deficit against Arkansas.
Ole Miss forced 23 Missouri turnovers while recording 14 steals, the most Missouri has allowed this season. It’s Ole Miss’ 17th game with 10-plus steals this season.
Starr Jacobs led the way for Ole Miss, recording a team-high 22 points. She went 9-for-13 from the field, while adding four steals to lead the team. She’s now hit the 50-steals mark for the season. This is the second game in a row that a Rebel has scored north of 20 points, as KK Deans also notched 22 versus Tennessee.
Christeen Iwuala joined Jacobs as a force to be reckoned with in the paint for Ole Miss. She added 10 points to the Ole Miss cause, alongside a team-leading seven rebounds.
Sira Thienou recorded her 70th steal of the season, after taking two away from Missouri. She became just the third Ole Miss freshman to record at least 70 steals in a season and the first since Armintie Price did so in the 2003-04 season. Alisa Scott was the first Rebel to do it in the 1983-84 season.
Iwuala came off the bench in the first quarter and immediately made an impact for the Rebels. She scored four points in the first with three rebounds, complementing Kennedy Todd-Williams’ five points in the initial 10 minutes. The Rebels went shot-for-shot with the Tigers throughout the first, leading to an 18-18 tie entering the second quarter.
Missouri gained some momentum in the final 10 minutes of the first half, outscoring Ole Miss 22-12. Iwuala and Jacobs continued to perform well in the paint, scoring two and four points, respectively. Iwuala ended the first half with a team-leading five rebounds.
The Rebels awoke in the second half, opening the third quarter on a 7-0 run through the first two minutes. Jacobs caught fire, not missing a shot and scoring 11 points in the quarter. Jacobs also pickpocketed the Tigers three times, including one to set up a fastbreak layup after picking off a pass.
Kennedy Todd-Williams converted an and-one after a Missouri triple to keep the Rebels within three, which Jacobs followed by driving in a layup to force a timeout. Jacobs then scored the next five points in the game. Ole Miss outscored Missouri, 29-11, in the third and made its final five shot attempts. The 29-point quarter is the most Missouri has allowed this season by any opponent.
Momentum stalled for Ole Miss as the fourth quarter began, but the damage had been done to Missouri. Jacobs continued to score for the Rebels as the Tigers attempted a comeback of their own, until fouling was the only option. Deans had a clutch offensive rebound in the final 10 seconds after a missed Ole Miss free throw attempt. She made the first one, which was enough to clinch Ole Miss’ victory.
After celebrating its seniors on Sunday, the Rebels will return to the SJB Pavilion for the final time this season for a matchup against No. 6/6 South Carolina on Feb. 27. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN.
