Ole Miss women's basketball kicked off Southeastern Conference play with a dominant win against Auburn. The Rebels won 85-58 at Neville Arena, marking the fourth consecutive season they have started SEC play with a win.
Coach Yo's side dominated the opening two quarters, going into the half with a 25-point cushion. Auburn was much better in the final two quarters, combining with the Rebels and easing off a little. However, they could not reduce the deficit, going down by 27 points and not winning a quarter.
Starting 2025 off with a SEC DUB 👏 pic.twitter.com/Qdb31Tpbjq
— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) January 3, 2025
After a disappointing nonconference schedule, they dropped games to USC, UConn, and NC State when they deserved to win at least one of those games, especially against the Trojans. However, wins like this in the SEC will keep their NCAA Tournament aspiration alive.
Freshman Sira Thienou continues to put in top performances
Ole Miss has a super talent on its roster in guard Sira Thienou. The Mali-born freshman has taken to the life of high-level college basketball like it's nothing new. In her first SEC conference game, she scored 12 points, seven steals, five rebounds, and a steal.
KK Deans started on the bench but led the team in points with 20, while Kennedy Todd-Williams had 19. Tameiya Sadler also finished with double-digit points, making four players reach the milestone against the Tigers.
Starr Jacobs once again led the team in rebounds, making it seven or more in the last four games. Only twice this season has she had less than five rebounds in a game.
Next up for Ole Miss is another road game against Texas A&M, who lost its first SEC game against Tennessee 91-78.