The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels women’s basketball team, led by Bahamian Head Coach Yolett ‘Coach Yo’ McPhee-McCuin, faced a tough opponent in the Texas A&M University Aggies at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas, on Sunday.

Going into the game, the Rebels were ranked at number 25 in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 Rankings while the Aggies were at number 13. The game was a nail-biter, ending 60-58 in favor of the Aggies. The Rebels led by as much as 16 points in the game, but couldn’t hold off an Aggies’ comeback in the second half.

The Rebels, now with a 10-4 win/loss record overall and 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), started the game strong, shooting over 50 from the field in the first half. Their defense was aggressive, forcing 17 turnovers and grabbing nine steals in the contest.

In the first half alone, Ole Miss recorded seven steals and restricted Texas A&M from making any three-point shots. This defensive streak extended from their previous game against Alcorn State University. They had seven consecutive quarters of not allowing a three-pointer.

In the first quarter, Ole Miss exhibited high energy and efficiency, hitting 5-of-6 field goal attempts during a critical three-minute session. Sira Thienou played a key role, leading the team with five points during this stretch and contributing two steals. This was her 10th game of the season with multiple steals.

In the second quarter, the Rebels maintained their shooting prowess, hitting 66.7 percent of their field goals. Starr Jacobs led the charge for Ole Miss with seven points during the quarter. She had two field goals and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line.

Both Jacobs and Thienou reached double figures in scoring during the second quarter. Meanwhile, Kirsten ‘KK’ Deans made two three-pointers in the game, tying her for third-most in program history.

Despite Ole Miss’ commanding performance in the first half, Texas A&M rallied in the second half. The Rebels led 22-12 after the first quarter and 41-25 at the break. The Aggies, standing at 8-6 overall and 1-1 in the SEC, pulled to within 52-40 after three quarters, and went on a 12-0 scoring run to start the fourth quarter to tie the game at 52.

The Aggies took their first lead of the game at 57-55 on a three-point shot from Sole Williams with 2:50 remaining. The Rebels never led again.

With one last chance to either push the game into overtime or seize victory, Ole Miss attempted a challenging layup in the final seconds. Unfortunately, the shot did not go in, and Texas A&M secured the win with a final score of 60-58.

This game highlighted Ole Miss’ strong defensive capabilities and offensive potential, but the team couldn’t maintain their momentum against a resilient Texas A&M team in the latter part of the game.