Ole Miss (6-2) vs. Central Michigan (3-5) Date: December 14, 2011 Time: 2:30 p.m. CT Location: Oxford, Miss. Arena: Tad Smith Coliseum Radio: Q93.7 FM (Graham Doty) Gametracker: OleMissSports.com Streaming Video: OleMissSports.com Series: Tied, 1-1
QUICK FACTS - Ole Miss saw its five-game winning streak snapped with a loss at No. 9 Miami Saturday night. - Ole Miss and Central Michigan are tied 1-1 in the all-time series. The Chippewas won last year's meeting, 82-66, in Mount Pleasant, Mich. - Sophomore Valencia McFarland (13.8 ppg) and senior Nikki Byrd (14.0 ppg) lead Ole Miss in scoring. - Byrd recorded her 10th career double-double against Grambling State with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She recorded five consecutive double-doubles from Nov. 18 to Dec. 12. - Byrd (10.9 rpg) and sophomore Pa'Sonna Hope (5.1 rpg) lead the team in rebounding. - Byrd is 12th in the nation in rebounding in the latest NCAA stats released on December 12 and is currently ranked first in the SEC. - Sophomore Valencia McFarland earned two preseason honors being named to the All-SEC Second Team by the league's media and the league's coaches. - Head coach Renee Ladner is in her fifth season at the helm. She has a career record of 64-67 overall and 21-39 in SEC play.
OLE MISS HOSTS CENTRAL MICHIGAN Ole Miss will play three of its next four games at home starting with a 2:30 p.m. contest Wednesday hosting Central Michigan. The Rebels (6-2 overall) are 4-0 at home this season and 2-2 on the road.
ABOUT OLE MISS Ole Miss is 6-2 this season after falling at No. 9 Miami Saturday night in Coral Gables. The Rebels are led by Nikki Byrd (14.0 ppg, 10.9 rpg) and Valencia McFarland (13.8 ppg, 37 assists). Sophomore Pa'Sonna Hope is second on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.1 rebounds per game. Head coach Renee Ladner is in her fifth season at the helm.
OLE MISS VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN The Ole Miss-Central Michigan all-time series is tied at 1-1. The Chippewas won the last meeting last season, 82-66, in Mount Pleasant, Mich., while the Rebels posted a 81-70 (OT) win in Oxford in 2008.
A LOOK AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN The Chippewas enter Wednesday's game at Ole Miss with a 3-5 record. Central Michigan is coming off a 75-62 home win over No. 12 Purdue. The Chippewas are led by Crystal Bradford (15.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg), Jessica Green (12.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 21 assists) and Jas'Mine Bracey (11.2 ppg, 7.5 prg). As a team, Central Michigan averages 70.9 ppg while its opponents average 72.1 ppg.
A WIN WEDNESDAY WOULD ..... - Keep Ole Miss undefeated at home this season and push the Rebels' home record to 5-0 this year.
- Give Ole Miss a 6-1 record in its last seven games.
A LOSS WEDNESDAY WOULD ..... - Give Ole Miss back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
- Hand Ole Miss its first home loss of the season.
NEWS AND NOTES At No. 9 Miami, Ole Miss scored a season-low 48 points while also allowing a season-high 76 points ... Nikki Byrd has scored in double figures in all eight games this year ... From Nov. 18 to Dec. 3, Ole Miss has held four if its five opponents to 53 points or under ... All 13 players who saw minutes against UAPB recorded at least one point ... Ole Miss had a team-high four players score in double-figures in the win at UMass (Nikki Byrd, Valencia McFarland, Amber Singletary and Whitney Hameth) ... Nikki Byrd has scored a team-high 26 points this season while also recording a team-high 17 rebounds ... Five of Ole Miss' games this season have been decided by nine points or less ... Freshman Amber Singletary recorded a career-high 11 points in a win at UMass ... Valencia McFarland and Nikki Byrd have started each game for Ole Miss ... Nikki Byrd has averaged a double-double for six consecutive weeks ... Valencia McFarland (SEMO) and Amber Singletary (UAPB) have each recorded six steals in a game this season ... Ole Miss held South Alabama without a player scoring in double figures marking the first time since November 19, 2006 that the Rebels did not allow a player on an opposing team to score in double figures.
BYRD RANKED 12TH IN THE NATION IN REBOUNDING In the latest NCAA stats released December 12, senior forward Nikki Byrd is 12th in the nation in rebounding, averaging 10.9 rebounds per game. The NCAA stats will be released again on Monday, December 19. Byrd is also ranked 12th in the nation in field goal percentage (59.5%) and eighth in double-doubles (five).
BYRD RECORDS 10TH CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE Senior Nikki Byrd recorded her 10th career double-double in a win against Grambling State with 18 points and 10 rebounds. It is her fifth double-double of the season and she is the only Ole Miss player to record a double-double this year. From Nov. 18 to Dec. 3, Byrd recorded five consecutive double-doubles to become the first player to record five consecutive double-doubles since Armintie Price in 2007.
Byrd, along with junior Courtney Marbra and sophomore Pa'Sonna Hope, are the three active players with double-doubles.
BYRD NEARING 100 CAREER GAMES PLAYED Senior Nikki Byrd has played in 99 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. Byrd has started all games this season.
OLE MISS IN THE SEC STATS As of December 12, Ole Miss is fourth in the SEC in free throw percentage (66.4), second in rebounding offense (45.4) and fourth in offensive rebounds (19.1). Individually, Valencia McFarland is eighth in scoring (13.8 ppg) and Nikki Byrd is seventh (14.0 ppg). Byrd is first in rebounding (10.9 rpg) and second in field goal percentage (59.5). McFarland is third in minutes played (33.9 mpg) third in assists (4.6 apg) and fifth in steals (2.8 spg).
BYRD IN DOUBLE FIGURES Senior Nikki Byrd has scored in double figures in nine consecutive games dating back to last season. She has scored in double figures in all eight games this season and has the longest active streak of scoring in double figures on this season's roster.
MCFARLAND RECORDS FIFTH CAREER 20-POINT GAME Sophomore Valencia McFarland recorded her fifth career 20-point game with 20 points in a win over Grambling State. McFarland recorded four 20-point games last season including a career-high 24 points in a win over Illinois.
SINGLETARY RECORDS CAREER-HIGH IN STEALS Freshman guard Amber Singletary recorded a career-high six steals against UAPB. For the season, Singletary is tied with Valencia McFarland for most steals in a game by an Ole Miss player. McFarland recorded six in a win at SEMO.
TWO PLAYERS AVERAGING DOUBLE FIGURES Senior Nikki Byrd and sophomore Valencia McFarland are leading the team in scoring this season. Byrd is averaging 14.0 points per game while McFarland is averaging 13.8 points per game. Byrd scored a career-best 26 points at UMass while McFarland scored a season-high 20 points in a win versus Grambling State.
BYRD, HOPE LEAD TEAM IN REBOUNDS Senior Nikki Byrd and sophomore Pa'Sonna Hope are leading the team in rebounds. Byrd is averaging a team-leading 10.9 rebounds per game while Hope is averaging 5.1 rebounds per game. Hope grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds at Lamar while Byrd recorded a season-high 17 at UMass.
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