No. 24 Ole Miss players and coaches will never say it out loud, but after four straight losses to close the regular season, they had to be hoping for a familiar matchup, preferably one they’d already handled.
So, when Texas A&M’s Janae Kent missed a potential game‑winner at the buzzer in Wednesday’s first‑round SEC Tournament game, the Rebels probably exhaled.
Instead of seeing the Aggies again less than a week after losing to them 66-58, Ole Miss gets Auburn, a team it beat 71-45 back in early February.
Knowing you’ve already dominated an opponent, and did it on a neutral floor in Birmingham during Winter Storm Fern, has to offer at least a little comfort.
But that game was a month ago, and a lot has changed since then. Ole Miss went from positioning itself to host an NCAA Regional to going 2-6 down the stretch.
Which version of the Rebels shows up now? We’re about to find out.
Here’s everything to know about Thursday evening’s matchup.
The Opponent: Auburn
Larry Vickers is in his first season has guided Auburn to a 15-16 overall record, with a 3-13 mark against SEC foes in his first year with the program. The Tigers began the season 8-0 and their most impressive win has come against No. 21 Alabama, when Auburn claimed a narrow 58-54 win. Auburn is coming off a 50-49 win over 10th-seeded Texas A&M in the first round of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 15. seed.
Freshman guard Harissoum Coulibaly has been Auburn’s leading scorer this season, averaging 10.7 points per game. Guard Kaitlyn Duhon and forward Khady Leye are just behind Coulibaly with 9.9 and 9.3 points per game, respectively. Leye is also Auburn’s leading rebounder with 5.2 per game, and is coming off an 11-point, 15 rebound outing in the preliminary round.
Thievery highlights Auburn’s defensive efforts, as it averages 11.1 steals per game. That’s fourth in the SEC entering this tournament. Duhon and Coulibaly are mostly to thank for that, as they average a combined 4.7 steals per game between the two of them. Duhon has secured 95 total steals this season, which is tops in the SEC and 10th in the country. In turn, Auburn forces 19.80 turnovers per game, putting it fourth in the conference in that mark.
How to Watch: Auburn vs. No. 24 Ole Miss, SEC Tournament
- Who: Auburn Tigers (15-16, 3-13 SEC) vs. No. 24 Ole Miss Rebels (21-10, 8-8 SEC)
- When: 5 p.m., Thursday
- Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C.
- TV: SEC Network
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Auburn leads the all-time series 37-32
- Last Meeting: Ole Miss 71, Auburn 45
- Last time out, Rebels: lost to Texas A&M, 66-58
- Last time out, Tigers: def. Texas A&M, 50-49 (SEC Tournament)
Ole Miss Top Performers
- Points: Cotie McMahon, 19.8 ppg
- Rebounds: Christeen Iwuala, 8.5 rpg
- Assists: Cotie McMahon, 89 ((2.9 avg.)
- Steals: Sira Thienou, 44 (1.6)
- Blocks: Latasha Lattimore, 68 (2.2 avg.)
Auburn Top Performers
- Points: Harissoum Coulibaly, 10.7 ppg
- Rebounds: Khady Leye, 5.2 rpg
- Assists: Ja’Mia Harris, 53 (1.7 avg.)
- Steals: Kaitlyn Duhon, 95 (3.1 vg.)
- Blocks: Khady Leye, 28 (0.9 avg.)
Student-Athlete Availability Report
Auburn
- All available.
Ole Miss
Questionable
- #0 Sira Thienou
Odds, Spread, Totals
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
- Auburn: +15.5 (-114)
- Ole Miss: -15.5 (-114)
Moneyline
- Auburn: +920
- Ole Miss: -3500
Total
Over: 121.5 (-114)
Under: 121.5 (-114)
