Ole Miss takes advantage of turnovers to blow out Delaware State

DOVER, Del. — Ole Miss reached the 80-point mark for the second consecutive game, stomping Delaware State, 80-42, at Memorial Hall Gym on Thursday evening.

The Rebels (2-1, 0-0 SEC) turned defense into offense all night, taking advantage of 23 turnovers by the Hornets (1-3, 0-0 MEAC), and scoring 30 points off them. On the other side, Ole Miss played its cleanest game of the season, giving up only six turnovers. It’s the fewest by the Rebels since last season when they had the same amount in the win against Georgia on Jan. 21, 2024.

Four Rebels reached double-digit scoring, with Starr Jacobs having her best performance as a Rebel. She led the team with 18 points, six rebounds and a pair of assists.

Kennedy Todd-Williams also had an impressive all-around performance against Delaware State. She scored 13 points on a trio of three-pointers, her personal best in a Rebel jersey. The senior hauled in a team-leading nine rebounds, dished out five assists and punished the Hornets defensively with two blocks and a steal.

KK Deans had a season-high seven assists against the Hornets, the most by any Rebel in a single game so far this year. In her closest shot at a homecoming game, Madison Scott shined once again with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists.

With a hot start coming from Sira Thienou, the Rebels and Hornets kept pace with one another in the opening frame. The freshman tied her career-high of six points in just 10 minutes, guiding the Rebels to a 13-9 lead at the end of the first.

An early jumper from Thienou secured her career-high as the Rebels and Hornets continued to trade blows early in the second. Thienou ended the game with 13 points on an efficient 5-for-7 shooting.

After regrouping at the media timeout, Ole Miss came out blazing with a 12-2 run sparked by three jumpers from Scott and 12 turnovers by the hosts. Todd-Williams capped off the half with her second three-pointer of the day, giving the Rebels a 37-21 lead entering the break.

Shooting 50% from the arc after a trio of threes from three different Rebels, Ole Miss continued to extend their lead. The Rebels capitalized at the free throw line, as Christeen Iwuala and Jacobs combined for four in the final two and a half minutes to maintain Ole Miss’ double-digit advantage, 58-32.

With victory in sight, Jacobs showed her veteran status by draining four jumpers right out of the break. The Rebels built up their lead by as many as 40 in the final quarter to go on to defeat the Hornets, 80-42.

The Rebels are back at the SJB Pavilion for the annual Kids Day game against SWAC opponent, Jackson State on Monday. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CT and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

Information from Ole Miss Sports is included in this story