OXFORD — Promise Taylor had 19 points Monday night to lead the Ole Miss women’s basketball team to a 92-63 victory against Kennesaw State at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.
Coach Matt Insell was happy with the way his team responded after falling behind 10-2 to open the game. Ole Miss shot 53.7 percent from the field and had four players score in double figures.
“Really proud of our basketball team,” Insell said. “We’re growing. We’re getting better. It was a bad start, but I thought we settled in from that point forward and played pretty well. Offensively, we continue to click.”
Taylor was 9-for-11 from the field with five rebounds and five blocked shots. She helped the Rebels claim a 46-24 scoring advantage in the paint.
“She’s pretty good,” Insell said. “It’s a pretty simple offense: Throw it up and let her go catch it and put it in. But the best is yet to come. She’s not really shown all the things she can do. She’s a true freshman. She’s getting better every day. She’s a sponge. She wants to be coached. She’s really good, but the more and more she plays, the better and better she’s going to get.”
Madinah Muhammad had 16 points, nine assists, and five rebounds, while Shandricka Sessom had team-highs with 23 points and nine rebounds.
Sophomore Shelby Gibson was 5-for-5 from the field for 10 points. Torri Lewis and Barbara Johnson added nine points.
Ole Miss will head to Chicago for the Maggie Dixon Classic, which will feature Saint Louis, Delaware State, and host DePaul. Ole Miss will take on Saint Louis at 4 p.m. Friday in the opening game while Delaware State and DePaul meet on the opposite side of the bracket.
n Alabama 65, Utah 60: At Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the Crimson Tide (2-0) outscored the Utes (1-1) 40-30 in the second half to earn the victory in a matchup of Power 5 Conference teams at Coleman Coliseum.
“I’m really proud of our team,” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said. “I thought we showed great resiliency and toughness in the second half. I thought we came out in the third quarter and played much more aggressive, and we took shots from our spots and were able to make a few to get us going and get some stops. We are all about getting to the free throw line, and I thought the second half we were the aggressor and that was the difference in the game.”
Senior Meoshonti Knight had 13 of her game-high 17 points in the third quarter. Senior Hannah Cook had 14 points and seven rebounds, while junior Shaquera Wade had 13 points and seven rebounds. Senior Ashley Williams led all rebounders with nine.
Alabama will play host to Jacksonville at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the annual 5th Grade Fastbreak game. The game will air live on SEC Network +.
n Southern Mississippi will play host to Tulane: At Hattiesburg, the Lady Eagles (1-0) will play host to the Lady Wave (1-1) at 6 tonight at Reed Green Coliseum.
The teams have met 65 times since 1977 and the Lady Eagles hold a 35-30 advantage in the series. The teams met last season, with Tulane besting Southern Miss 86-67.
Southern Miss is coming off an 82-44 victory against William Carey on Friday.
Tulane beat Maine 42-34 and lost to Dayton 71-65 in the Maine tournament.
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