Ole Miss Girls Dispose of Florida

January 24, 2013

MorrisAdmin,

The Ole Miss women’s basketball team posted a high-energy, complete team effort in the team’s road SEC win Thursday night, downing Florida, 88-81, for acting head coach Brett Frank’s first career SEC win.

With the win, Ole Miss improves to 8-11 overall (1-5 SEC) while Florida fell to 13-7 (2-4 SEC).

Valencia McFarland led one of five Ole Miss players in double figures with a season-high 24 points. She added 10 assists and has recorded at least five assists in nine of the last 10 games and 37 times in her career. Tonight was her second career double-double.

Diara Moore added 13 points, followed by Gracie Frizzell (12), Danielle McCray (12) and Tia Faleru (12).

Monique Jackson ended the game with a career-high 13 rebounds. As a team, Ole Miss recorded a season-high 11 threes in the game.

Gracie Frizzell’s third three early in the game gave Ole Miss an 18-14 lead with 12:17 left in the first half. Another three from Frizzell extended the Rebels’ lead to 37-38 with 5:33 remaining in the half.

A three from Diara Moore stretched Ole Miss’ lead to 50-32 with 1:39 left in the half. The Gators cut the lead to 50-38 at the half. The 50 points marks the most points Ole Miss has scored in the first half this year.

At the half, Frizzell led the Rebels with 12 points, followed by Moore with 11 and McFarland with 10. Monique Jackson recorded a team-high seven rebounds in the first half. Ole Miss shot 51.5 percent (17-33) from the floor and 90 percent (9-10) from three-point range. Florida shot 34.1 percent (15-44) from the floor.

In the second half, the Gators cut the Rebels’ lead to single digits, 58-49, with 16:30 left to play but Danielle McCray hit a three for Ole Miss to push the Rebels’ lead to, 61-49.

Florida used a 12-3 run to cut Ole Miss’ lead to five, 68-63, with 8:35 remaining in the game. The Gators cut the lead to three with 3:36 to play, but Moore recorded a steal on the next possession and found McFarland to put Ole Miss back up five, 78-73, with 2:54 left.

Ole Miss will travel to Starkville, Miss., to take on in-state rival Mississippi State Sunday at 2 p.m.