How Ole Miss women's basketball showed its toughness in comeback win over Florida
Ole Miss women's basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuinn demanded more toughness from her team after suffering its worst loss of the season at home to Texas A&M a week ago.
She got it on Thursday.
The Rebels (17-7, 7-4 SEC), down 16 in the first half, rallied to beat Florida (13-10, 4-7) in overtime 77-67, securing a road Quadrant One win for their NCAA Tournament resume.
"This was a must-win for us," McPhee-McCuin said postgame. "We're a team that we don't want any questions when it comes to if we're an NCAA Tournament team."
Ole Miss took its first lead of the game with 21 seconds to play on Madison Scott's elbow jumper, only to see Florida convert a three-point play on the other end and go back ahead.
Again in chase mode, the Rebels responded. Marquesha Davis got to her spot on the mid-block, faded away and scored a game-tying bucket with less than a second to go.
"We don't quit," Scott said.
Once overtime began, it was all Rebels. Ole Miss outscored the Gators 13-3 in the extra period.
"Once we got into overtime, I didn't say a word," McPhee-McCuin said. "They were talking in those huddles and saying 'We're not leaving here without a win.'"
BY THE NUMBERS: Explaining Ole Miss women's basketball's $8.4 million deficit in 2023 fiscal year
There was plenty of toughness evident in the Rebels' comeback effort and the way they executed it.
Despite 27 points from Scott and 22 from Davis, Ole Miss shot under 40% from the floor. It did not make a 3-pointer all night. It turned the ball over 25 times.
The Rebels made their move on the glass, where an astounding 26 offensive rebounds led to 18 vital second-chance points compared to just three for the hosts.
Ole Miss got to the free-throw line 32 times. It outscored the Gators 38-28 in the paint.
"Listen, there's three ways we score," McPhee-McCuin said. "Transition, rebounding and the free-throw line. It's no secret. That's what the numbers show. Fifty-five rebounds, 26 offensive rebounds – that's toughness. That's grit. That's determination. Really proud of our group."
Ole Miss returns to action when it hosts Mississippi State on Sunday (3 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.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss women's basketball comes back from down 16 to beat Florida
