Ole Miss women's basketball unable to contain LSU's firepower in 84-73 loss
OXFORD ― LSU needed just 18 minutes Sunday to achieve what Ole Miss women's basketball's first SEC opponent, Alabama, required 40 minutes to do: Put 45 points on the scoreboard.
In a game that took on LSU's preferred tempo from the start, the Rebels could not engage their usual brand of lockdown defense against the defending national champion Tigers, who left SJB Pavilion with an 84-73 victory. The announced attendance of 9,074 set a program record for Ole Miss.
It's just the third time in the past three seasons that the Rebels have surrendered more than 80 points in a single game.
Still, Ole Miss (11-4, 1-1 SEC) pressured the No. 5 Tigers (15-1, 2-0) well into the second half, thanks to a strong start to the third quarter in which the Rebels outscored LSU 16-2 and turned a 13-point halftime deficit into a brief one-point lead.
But the LSU response was swift and decisive. Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith and Mikaylah Williams contributed to a 9-0 run that set Ole Miss back into catch-up mode.
LSU opened the fourth quarter with a 12-2 run that put the game away.
Strong first half propels LSU offense forward
Fueled by a 56.7% effort in the first half, LSU finished with a 47% success rate from the field. Ole Miss failed to defend the 3-point line effectively, with the Tigers cashing in on eight of their 13 attempts.
They sank jump shot after jump shot in the first 20 minutes, declining to engage inside, where Ole Miss enjoyed a first-half advantage before the Tigers established control later.
That shot-making proficiency made all the difference.
Having struggled offensively at times since a season-ending injury to point guard KK Deans, Ole Miss did well to match the Tigers' explosiveness for a quarter. But they compounded a 26-point first quarter with a 24-point second that set Ole Miss behind 50-37 heading into halftime.
Ole Miss managed to lower the Tigers' flame enough early in the second half to give them a scare, but their stars pulled them away. Reese finished the game with 21 points, Williams added 20 and Flau'jae Johnson had 16.
FULL UPDATES: Ole Miss women's basketball live score updates vs. LSU, Kim Mulkey in SEC play
Marquesha Davis leads the way for the Rebels
The primary bright spot for Ole Miss came from guard Marquesha Davis.
Playing in a system without a true point guard, Davis proved incisive as she created her own shots. She posted an efficient 10-for-14 effort from the field on her way to 24 points.
That's the third time in Davis' five-year career that she'd surpassed the 20-point threshold, having done so twice last year in her first season with the Rebels after transferring from Arkansas.
Up next
Ole Miss plays at home against Auburn on Thursday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+).
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss women's basketball can't keep up with LSU in home defeat
