Women’s Basketball Drains 13 Threes in Season-Opening Victory

OXFORD, Miss. – In front of a rowdy Kids Day crowd, No. 12/14 Ole Miss women’s basketball dominated Norfolk State on all ends of the court, 87-46, Monday morning at the SJB Pavilion.

The Rebels (1-0, 0-0 SEC) put on a clinic from long distance, draining 13 threes on a 43.3 percent shooting clip. It surpasses last season’s single game best by three and serves as the most since the Rebels clicked on 14 on Dec. 28, 2018, against North Florida. The 3-point barrage stifled Norfolk State’s (0-1, 0-0 MEAC) defense, which had no answers.

All nine newcomers made their Ole Miss debut, including Cotie McMahon, Latasha Lattimore and Debreasha Powe, who each recorded double-digit points. McMahon, who paced the individual field in made threes with four, had 13 points. Lattimore used her length to haul in six rebounds on top of 12 points, while Powe kickstarted the Rebels 3-point performance with two in the first, and finished with 12 points.

Returning players Christeen Iwuala and Sira Thienou would find ways to steal the show however, scoring 15 and eight, respectively. Iwuala put forth a career-high scoring effort and led all Rebels in points. Thienou tied a career-high in rebounds with nine, putting her just shy of her first career double-double.

The Rebels forced 22 Spartan turnovers and allowed them to make only two threes in the contest. Ole Miss has recorded its first 40-point victory of the season, a margin it reached five times last season.

Lattimore opened the scoring with her first basket in an Ole Miss jersey, a three pointer from the left corner. Peterson added an acrobatic layup off a fastbreak for the first two Ole Miss baskets of the day. The Rebels continued to emphasize deep shooting through the first quarter, draining five in the quarter alone. The Spartans kept pace with the Rebels despite Ole Miss’ efficiency behind the line, but a last minute three from Powe and a buzzer beater layup from Iwuala put the blue and red ahead, 22-16, at the end of quarter one.

The Rebels maintained the pressure in the second, which Iwuala kicked off with a converted and-one. Freshman Lauren Jacobs made the most of her first minutes on a collegiate court, recording the first basket, steal and two assists of her career. Peterson picked up her 100th assist of her overall career when she found Jacobs on a fastbreak.

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— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) November 3, 2025

Ole Miss’ defense stepped up for the remainder of the first half, allowing only nine points from Norfolk State, en route to a 40-25 lead going into the second half.

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— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) November 3, 2025

Thienou had built momentum near the tail end of the second quarter, which continued into the third. She shot 2-for-3 from the field, including a 3-pointer, and hauled in three rebounds just in the third quarter alone. Thienou, Iwuala and newcomer Denim DeShields scored at least four points each in the quarter, while Norfolk State struggled once again to break double-digits, scoring only seven.

McMahon got the fourth quarter started with an electric four-point play after draining a three while getting fouled. On her next shot, she made another uncontested three for her fourth of the game. She kickstarted Ole Miss’ best quarter, scoring-wise, of the game. DeShields and Tianna Thompson added a three each as the Rebels shot a collective 4-for-5 from long range in the quarter. As the Rebels ran away with 27 points in the quarter, they would fashion the final score of 87-46.

Up next, the Rebels travel nearly 200 miles east to face Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Alabama. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, with broadcast details to be released at a later time.

Season and single game tickets for the 2025-26 campaign are on sale now. Click here to secure yours today or visit OleMissTix.com.

Follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on X at @YolettMcCuin.