It's wait and see for Ole Miss women after SEC Tourney loss to Tennessee
Mar. 6—GREENVILLE, S.C. — It's wait and see for the Ole Miss women's basketball team.
Three seed Tennessee eliminated 11 seed Ole Miss from the SEC Tournament with a 77-72 win at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Rebels coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin pleaded her team's case for the NCAA Tournament Thursday night after the Rebels eliminated 6 seed and No. 13-ranked Arkansas 69-60. She pleaded it more Friday after Ole Miss led Tennessee most of the way but couldn't hold up when star player Shakira Austin left the game with a back injury at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Ole Miss resume includes five Quadrant 1 wins and a Net Ranking of 43. The Rebels (11-11) will have to wait until the women's selection show on March 15 at 6 p.m. on ESPN to know if they've done enough.
"If we're not an NCAA team then who is?" McPhee-McCuin asked. "With our COVID issues at the beginning of conference play, our snow storm issues, then continuing to prove ourselves by beating Quadrant 1 teams, then lose by five when our star player hurts her back in the fourth quarter ... We definitely should be in. Ask any SEC coach."
Austin had 29 points and 16 rebounds in the win over Arkansas.
She had 14 points and seven rebounds against the Vols and is expected to be ready to go for whatever postseason awaits Ole Miss.
Ole Miss was ahead by eight points, 57-49, at the end of the third quarter, but Tennessee quickly took advantage of Austin's absence and led by nine with 2 minutes, 51 seconds to play. The Lady Vols outscored Ole Miss 28-15 in the quarter.
Ole Miss led 57-51 when Austin exited with 9:25 left, and Tennessee went on a 10-2 run.
Austin returned but was clearly bothered by the injury.
The Rebels battled back to a 3-point deficit with 31 seconds left when Jacorriah Bracey couldn't get a 3-pointer to drop.
They had one final chance to tie after a Donnetta Johnson steal with 14 seconds to play, but Johnson also missed the 3-point shot.
Tennessee (16-6) shot only 41 percent but hit 7 for 10 from 3-point range including buzzer-beating shots at the end of quarters, one from beyond halfcourt.
Johnson led Ole Miss with 20 points. Bracey added 13 and was 3 for 6 from 3-point range.
"She's been carrying us the whole time, and it was a blow for my group when she was out. For a split second they were not sure what they could do without her," McPhee-McCuin said.
