Ole Miss women's basketball crushes Gonzaga, sets up March Madness clash with Stanford

Ole Miss women's basketball claimed its first NCAA Tournament win in 16 years on Friday night.

But more than that, the eighth-seeded Rebels produced a shining representation of everything they're about on the college game's biggest stage, beating ninth-seeded Gonzaga 71-48 at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California.

Ole Miss (24-8) grated one of the nation's most efficient offenses into a disorganized pulp. Gonzaga, coming into the game as the country's top 3-point shooting team, did not connect from beyond the arc in the first half and made just 1-of-17 for the game. The Bulldogs (28-5) shot 29.3%, and produced by far their lowest points total this season.

The Ole Miss defense – the foundation on which Yolett McPhee-McCuin built her program – offered the Bulldogs no quarter.

Any space present in the Rebels' defensive half was closed down instantly. The Rebels closed the passing lanes, presenting Gonzaga with few opportunities to move the ball quickly. Ole Miss defenders stuck to Bulldogs guards like glue, providing them no room to penetrate and generate the kick-outs necessary to feed the 3-point shooters on the perimeter. Every Gonzaga movement was punished by an Ole Miss bump.

McPhee-McCuin said in the leadup to Friday's contest that the team that imposed its brand of basketball would leave with a win. By the five-minute mark of the first quarter, it was obvious that team was Ole Miss.

For their efforts, the Rebels earn a matchup with No. 1 seed Stanford on Sunday (8:30 p.m., ESPN).

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Snudda strikes

Lately, Ole Miss guard Snudda Collins hasn't been the offensive force she was early in the season, but she sparked the run that helped the Rebels take control of Friday's game.

Collins scored 10 points in the second quarter, including a spectacular four-point play, to provide the scoring punch behind a 17-5 Ole Miss run that sent the Rebels into the halftime break with a comfortable 34-21 lead that only grew thereafter. Ole Miss outscored Gonzaga 25-10 in the third quarter.

Collins finished with a team-high 15 points for the game. Madison Scott (11) and Angel Baker (11) also ended in double figures.

Learning their lesson

Making their first NCAA Tournament appearance under McPhee-McCuin last season, Ole Miss didn't feel ready. The Rebels were happy to be there. And they lost in the first round.

This season, Ole Miss built its roster around experienced players who had been to March Madness before. The Rebels said they treated the journey like a business trip. And they were rewarded for that mentality.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss women dominate Gonzaga to advance in NCAA Tournament