OXFORD, Miss. — Christeen Iwuala scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Cotie McMahon added 18 points and 10 rebounds as Ole Miss defeated Southern 94-44 on Wednesday night at SJB Pavilion.
The win improved the Rebels to 3-0, while Southern fell to 0-3. Ole Miss shot 53.2 percent from the field and scored 50 points in the paint while holding the Jaguars to 29 percent shooting.
“I thought we moved the ball well and got into the paint,” Iwuala said. “It helps when we rebound hard and finish at the rim.”
Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said her team showed maturity on both ends.
“Our goal every day is to be better than the day before,” she said. “Tonight we were sharper on both ends and our players rose to the challenge.”
The Rebels took control early, forcing three traveling violations in the opening minutes. Iwuala scored six points before the first media timeout as Ole Miss built a quick lead.
Freshman Debreasha Powe made a 3-pointer to open the second quarter, and Sira Thienou added a layup through contact.
Freshman Latasha Lattimore converted a three-point play before the Rebels closed the half with a 6-0 run to lead 43-20 at halftime.
By intermission, Iwuala was already in double figures, and McMahon’s rebounding helped limit Southern’s second-chance opportunities.
The Rebels’ bench also provided key minutes, with Lauren Jacobs and Madison Scott contributing on both ends of the court.
Ole Miss outscored Southern 30-10 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. Iwuala scored her 16th point two minutes into the period and later added two more baskets before leaving to a loud ovation.
McMahon followed with midrange jumpers and offensive rebounds as the Rebels took a 73-30 lead into the final quarter.
Southern was held to 3-of-14 shooting in the third and committed several shot-clock violations.
Freshman Lauren Jacobs led the reserves with nine points in six minutes, the most by any Ole Miss player in a single quarter this season.
She made a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth to help close the game.
Ole Miss has outscored opponents 269-149 through its first three games. The Rebels have shown improvement in transition offense and rebounding, led by Iwuala and McMahon’s presence inside.
Southern dropped its third straight game to open the season. The Jaguars struggled to handle Ole Miss’ physicality and shot 4-of-19 from 3-point range.
Ole Miss will travel to Memphis on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. game. The teams last met in Oxford in 2023, when the Rebels earned a home victory.
Key takeaways:
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Iwuala (22 points, 11 rebounds) and McMahon (18 points, 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles.
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Ole Miss shot 53.2 percent and scored 50 points in the paint.
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The Rebels have averaged a 40-point margin of victory through three games, their best start in program history.
