Thrilling Encounter: Ole Miss vs. Tennessee
In a thrilling encounter on Tuesday night, Cotie McMahon set a personal record with 39 points as she powered No. 17 Ole Miss to a convincing 94-81 victory against No. 21 Tennessee. This remarkable performance not only marked a career milestone for McMahon, surpassing the formidable 2,000 career points mark, but also underscored her place in the Ole Miss record books as she became just the fourth player in program history to reach this achievement, following in the footsteps of Angel Baker from the 2022-23 season.
Game Highlights
The Rebels (21-6, 8-4 in the Southeastern Conference) maintained control throughout the game, never once trailing and enjoying a comfortable double-digit lead during the second half. With just under two minutes left in the third quarter, McMahon extended the Ole Miss lead to 25 points with a smooth jump shot, finishing the game with an impressive shooting record of 12-for-22 from the field and 14-for-18 from the free-throw line. In addition, she contributed significantly with five assists and ten rebounds, marking her fifth double-double of the current season.
Latasha Lattimore also made her mark, achieving her fourth consecutive double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Supporting roles were played by Christeen Iwuala, who scored 16 points, and Tianna Thompson, who added 12 points of her own.
Tennessee’s Efforts
On the opposing side, Tennessee (16-8, 8-4) was led by Talaysia Cooper, who delivered a season-high 30 points on 12-of-26 shooting, while Lauren Hurst came off the bench to provide 16 additional points. Despite their efforts, the Lady Vols found it challenging to overcome Ole Miss’s strong performance as they faced a significant deficit at halftime, entering the break trailing 44-33 despite Cooper scoring nine points in the first half.
Looking Ahead
It’s worth noting that this clash was rescheduled from January 26 due to winter weather conditions. Historically, the Lady Vols had been on a strong run, winning nine of their last ten matchups against Ole Miss. Looking ahead, Tennessee will host Texas A&M on Thursday, while Ole Miss will take on the challenge of facing No. 7 LSU at home the same night.
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