OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss, coming off a 2-0 start to the 2025-26 season, will host the Southern Jaguars on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in the SJB Pavilion.
The game will be streamed on the ESPN app.
Building early momentum
Ole Miss enters the game ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll after its strong start.
The Rebels finished the 2024-25 season with four consecutive 10-win SEC seasons under head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and will now try to establish home-court dominance early in non-conference play.
Southern arrives at 0-2 after losses to Iowa and Iowa State.
The Jaguars are led by coach Carlos Funchess in his eighth season and return six players from a 21-15 squad that went 15-3 in the SWAC and earned an NCAA Tournament win for the first time in program history.
History favors the Rebels
In their series history, the Rebels are 7-0 against Southern. The last meeting between the two teams was in 2014, when Ole Miss won 91-68.
On that day, Tia Faleru had 29 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Rebels.
Against all SWAC opponents, Ole Miss holds a 98-7 all-time record and has won the last 20 matchups.
McPhee-McCuin is 19-0 against SWAC foes. That long-standing dominance sets a clear expectation for this matchup in Oxford.
Key storylines
Three returning players from last year — Christeen Iwuala, Sira Thienou and J’Adore Young — will help integrate nine newcomers and eight transfer portal additions into the team’s rotation.
Thienou, a freshman last season, led the team in steals and ranked fourth in the SEC among freshmen with 2.4 steals per game and 2.9 in SEC play.
The Rebels are also off to a strong start this year, having scored 87 and 84 points in their first two games, with an average winning margin above 40 points.
What Southern brings
The Jaguars are led in scoring by transfer Zaria Hurston, averaging 14 points and 5 rebounds per game. Another key contributor is transfer Jaylia Reed, who last season led the SWAC in three-pointers made (1.9 per game, 60 total). Guard Mykayla Cunningham is off to a solid start as well, leading the Jaguars in assists with seven through two games.
What to watch in the matchup
• Can Ole Miss extend its home-court success? The Rebels won all seven non-conference home games last season and have taken 32 of their last 35 non-conference home contests.
• Will Southern’s incoming transfers provide the spark needed to challenge a top-tier opponent early?
• Which Rebels newcomers and transfers will make a visible impact in their first major home game of the season under Coach McPhee-McCuin’s “Give” philosophy — a team motto emphasizing service, leadership and effort on and off the court.
Game facts and broadcast info
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. in Oxford at the SJB Pavilion, with streaming available on SEC Network+. The game will also air on the Ole Miss Radio Network.
Key takeaways
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Ole Miss is 2-0 to open 2025-26, ranked 13/16 nationally, and seeking to extend dominance at home.
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Southern returns key contributors and strong SWAC experience but is 0-2 to start the season.
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The historical edge and program depth favor the Rebels as they aim to continue their non-conference momentum.
