Nov. 16, 2011

Ole Miss Game Notes

Ole Miss (1-1) vs. South Alabama (2-0)
Date: November 18, 2011
Time: 4:30 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: Tad Smith Coliseum
 
Radio: 105.5 FM (Graham Doty)
Gametracker: OleMissSports.com
Live Streaming: RebelVision
Web: CoverItLive Blog
Series: Tied, 2-2

QUICK HITS
- Ole Miss will host South Alabama on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
- The Rebels and Jaguars are tied in the all-time series, 2-2.  South Alabama has won the last two meetings in 2010 and 2001. 
- Ole Miss enters the game 1-1 after falling at Lamar, 67-58, Tuesday night.
- Rebel associate coach Jocelyn McGilberry spent September of 1992-January of 1995 as an assistant and interim head coach at South Alabama.
- Sophomore Valencia McFarland (13.5 ppg) and junior Nikki Byrd (10.5 ppg) lead Ole Miss in scoring.
- Byrd (7.0 rpg) and sophomore Pa’Sonna Hope (7.0 rpg) lead the team in rebounding.
- Sophomore Valencia McFarland has earned two preseason honors being named to the All-SEC Second Team by the league’s media and to the All-SEC Second Team by the league’s coaches.
- Head coach Renee Ladner is in her fifth season at the helm. She has a career record of 59-67 overall and 21-39 in SEC play. She is one win away from her 60th career win.

OLE MISS HOSTS SOUTH ALABAMA
After falling in its first road game of the year, Ole Miss returns home to host South Alabama at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.  Ole Miss is 1-0 at home this season.
 
ABOUT OLE MISS
Ole Miss is 1-1 this season after falling to Lamar on Tuesday night.  The Rebels are led by Valencia McFarland (13.5 ppg, nine assists) and Nikki Byrd (10.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg).  Pa’Sonna Hope is also tied for the team lead in rebounding averaging 7.0 rebounds per game. Head coach Renee Ladner is in her fifth season at the helm. 

OLE MISS VS. SOUTH ALABAMA
Ole Miss and South Alabama are tied in the all-time series, 2-2.  The Jaguars have won the last two meetings in 2010 and 2001 while the Rebels won the first two games of the series in 1980 and 1982.  

A LOOK AT SOUTH ALABAMA
South Alabama is 2-0 this season, having beaten Central Florida in triple overtime and Southern.  Both games were are home.  The Jaguars are led by Camille Reynolds who is averaging 22.5 ppg.  Taylor Ammons leads the team in rebounding averaging 7.5 boards per game.  As a team, South Alabama averages 73.0 ppg while its opponents average 60.0 ppg.

OLE MISS-SOUTH ALABAMA CONNECTIONS
Ole Miss associate coach Jocelyn McGilberry spent time as both an assistant and interim head coach at South Alabama from 1992-1995. 
 
A WIN FRIDAY WOULD .....
- Give Ole Miss its second 2-1 start in as many seasons.

- Be the 60th career win for head coach Renee Ladner.  
 
A LOSS FRIDAY WOULD .....
- Give Ole Miss its first 1-2 start to a season since the 1997-98 season. 

- Hand Ole Miss its 10th loss at home dating back to the start of the 2010-11 season. 

LADNER ONE WIN AWAY FROM 60 AT OLE MISS
Fifth-year head coach Renee Ladner is one win away from 60 for her career.  She recorded her 50th career win at Ole Miss last season with the Rebels’ 69-60 win over Sam Houston State in the championship game of the Inn at Ole Miss Classic.  Ladner is the fourth all-time winningest coach in Ole Miss history with 59 wins.  Currently she trails Carol Ross (2003-07, 77 wins); Ron Aldy (1997-2003, 79 wins); and Van Chancellor (1978-1997, 439 wins).

BYRD NEARING 100 CAREER GAMES PLAYED
Senior Nikki Byrd has played in 93 career games.   She has played in at least 29 games over each of her first three years at Ole Miss and is the team’s active leader in career games played.

TWO PLAYERS AVERAGING DOUBLE FIGURES
Sophomore Valencia McFarland and senior Nikki Byrd are leading the team in scoring this season.  McFarland is averaging 13.5 ppg while Byrd is averaging 10.5.  McFarland scored a season-high 18 points at Lamar while Byrd scored a season-high 11 at Lamar.

BYRD, HOPE LEAD TEAM IN REBOUNDS
Senior Nikki Byrd and Pa’Sonna Hope are leading the team in rebounds.  Both are averaging 7.0 rebounds per game. Hope grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds at Lamar while Byrd recorded a season-high nine at Lamar. 

MCFARLAND LEADS TEAM IN ASSISTS...AGAIN
Sophomore Valencia McFarland, who has led the team in both games this season in assists and has nine in two games, has recorded at least five assists in 12 career games for Ole Miss.  As a freshman, she finished the year with a team-leading 123 assists.

MCFARLAND LOGGING MINUTES
Sophomore Valencia McFarland has played 38 minutes in both games this season to lead the team.  For her career, she has now played in 21 career games with 38 or more minutes.