Ole Miss women's basketball upsets No. 1 Stanford, advances to March Madness Sweet 16

David Eckert, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·3 min read

Ole Miss women's basketball came into the 2023 NCAA Tournament demanding progress. For that, one March Madness win would have sufficed. Instead, the Rebels won two – and achieved history.

Ole Miss took down top-seeded Stanford in its own building, toppling a Cardinal program that had been to back-to-back Final Fours, 54-49, inside Maples Pavilion on Sunday night.

The victory earned the No. 8-seeded Rebels (25-8) a spot in the Sweet 16, just their second since 1990. Ole Miss will face the winner of Monday's (5) Louisville vs. (4) Texas game (7 p.m., ESPN) in Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena.

It's also the first time in 19 trips to the NCAA Tournament that the Rebels have taken down a No. 1 seed, dealing the Cardinal (29-6) its first regulation defeat at Maples Pavilion this season.

The Rebels achieved it like they achieve most things: with defense. Stanford shot 33% from the field and managed just five points in a 12-minute stretch between the second and third quarters. It gave the ball away constantly, too, feeding Ole Miss' blistering transition offense.

The Rebels led by as much as 13 midway through the third quarter, but they needed to fend off a Cardinal rally that closed the gap to three points early in the fourth and tied the game with just over a minute left.

But, after the Rebels got a key steal, Madison Scott was fouled with 23 seconds left and drilled both free throws to give Ole Miss the lead back for good.

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Ole Miss copes well with Stanford's size

The Cardinal roster holds six players who are at least 6-foot-2, including the 6-7 Lauren Betts and 6-5 Ashten Prechtel. That's not a trait the Rebels can match. Ole Miss' squad includes just two players who are 6-2 or taller.

But the Rebels managed Stanford's size well. In an upset, they outdid the Cardinal on the offensive glass. Stanford's length was a problem for Ole Miss on offense, with the Cardinal blocking 12 shots. But it wasn't a game-changing factor.

Rebels carry nice cushion into halftime

Ole Miss made it clear to its hosts that they would be under game pressure from the very start.

The Rebels never trailed in the first half – or in the game – with Stanford struggling to match their intensity.

That translated into 12 first-half giveaways for the Cardinal, which Ole Miss used to create 10 points.

Baker got started early with her scoring, posting seven points in the first five minutes of the half. She had nine at the break, and Ole Miss had a 29-20 lead.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss women's basketball upsets No. 1 seed Stanford in March Madness