Ole Miss women get March Madness redemption in Waco with 69-63 win over Baylor for Sweet 16 spot
Ole Miss women get March Madness redemption in Waco with 69-63 win over Baylor for Sweet 16 spot
WACO, Texas (AP) — Madison Scott raised her arms in frustration, looking for a foul call after a momentum-building bucket early in the fourth quarter.
The Mississippi senior raised them again — this time in celebration — after putting the Rebels in front for good late.
Scott scored 14 points, including that tiebreaking jumper in the final minute, and Ole Miss advanced to the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a 69-63 victory over Baylor on the Bears’ home court Sunday.
Sira Thienou, playing with gauze stuffed into one of her nostrils, scored 16 points as the Rebels (22-10) won twice in Waco three years after a first-round loss that was the first tournament victory for South Dakota.
Scott is the only player on the roster who made the Texas trip with the Rebels in 2022, so the pull-up jumper for a 63-61 lead with 40 seconds remaining was particularly sweet. And the overflowing emotions perhaps understandable.
“Definitely was in the back of my head that I wanted to come and lead my team to victory,” Scott said. “I wanted to come and it be a different story this time. So really, really grateful that we were able to come down here and be successful and get two wins.”
Aaronette Vonleh scored 16 points and Jada Walker had 15 for the Bears (28-8), who failed to advance to the Sweet 16 from their arena for the second time in four seasons under coach Nicki Collen. They had done so eight consecutive times under Kim Mulkey, who won three national championships at Baylor.
“It was exactly what I expected,” said fifth-year senior Sarah Andrews, who was trying to help the Bears reach back-to-back Sweet 16s after advancing at Virginia Tech last year. “Both teams fighting to go to the Sweet 16.”
Ole Miss, which had the resume to be an early round host, settled for the No. 5 seed, its highest since 1994, and moved on to the Spokane 1 Regional.
It’s the second Sweet 16 in the past three seasons under coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and the 12th in program history. Mississippi will play either No. 1 seed UCLA or No. 8 seed Richmond. Those teams tip off Sunday night.
“I’m at peace with what happened in the past because for me, that’s all a part of being here and that’s what makes it special,” McPhee-McCuin said. “It was really gratifying when the buzzer sounded and we had the victory.”
The bucket from Scott that had the senior calling for a foul capped a tiebreaking 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter, but the fourth-seeded Bears hung around.
Baylor pulled even at 59-all on a putback from Vonleh. It was even again at 61 after a bucket from Andrews, who had 14 points, setting up Scott’s go-ahead shot after a timeout.
Baylor’s Yaya Felder missed a 3-pointer at the other end with 29 seconds to go, and KK Deans iced it for the Rebels from there by making all six of her free throws. Deans, who scored 13 points, also hit a 3-pointer when Baylor went to a zone to start the fourth quarter.
“I thought down the stretch both teams made plays, one play after another, to keep it tied, take a two-point lead, tie it up, take a two-point lead,” Collen said. “They made one more play than us tonight and made it at the right time.”
Sudden change
Ole Miss didn’t score in the final 5:39 of the second quarter, going 3 of 17 from the field with six turnovers overall in the quarter as the Bears finished the half on a 10-0 run for a 29-26 lead.
Things changed immediately in the third quarter, with the teams combining to score 10 points in the first 1:22 after the break.
Later in the third, each team made its first 3-pointer of the game, with Andrews connecting for Baylor and Kennedy Todd-Williams answering 18 seconds later for a 38-38 tie.
The teams missed their first 13 shots combined from beyond the arc. Ole Miss finished 2-10 from deep, Baylor 2-15.
Keep your wits about you
Scott screamed at the officials after getting called for her second foul in the second quarter, and McPhee-McCuin took her out of the game. The coach went to the end of the bench trying to calm her most important offensive player.
“She was just losing it,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I’m like, ‘Maddy, first of all, we’re up. Secondly, you’re fine. Just relax.’ I said at halftime, ‘Guys, when do we get calls on the road? It’s called home cooking for a reason.’ I thought the officials did a great job during the game.”
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By SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer
