Ole Miss was selected as a 5-seed in the Sacramento region of the NCAA Tournament and will play 12-seed Gonzaga in the opening round on Friday, March 20, the NCAA announced Sunday. Tipoff time has not been released, and the winner will meet either 4-seed Minnesota or 13-seed Green Bay, according to the tournament bracket.
The Rebels are 23-11 overall and 8-8 in the Southeastern Conference, according to Ole Miss athletics. They are coached by Yolett McPhee-McCuin and are led on the floor by senior forward Cotie McMahon, an Ohio State transfer who averages 19.9 points and 3.0 assists per game, the school said. McMahon was named SEC Newcomer of the Year and was a first-team All-SEC selection, the conference announced.
Senior forward Christeen Iwuala leads the team with 8.4 rebounds per game and averages 12.7 points, Ole Miss reported. McPhee-McCuin has guided Ole Miss to five consecutive 20-win seasons and two Sweet 16 appearances in the last three years, the school said. The program’s five-year NCAA Tournament streak is its second-longest, behind an 11-year run from 1982-92, according to Ole Miss athletics.
Gonzaga enters at 24-9 and 14-4 in the West Coast Conference, according to Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are coached by Lisa Fortier and are led by freshman forward Lauren Whittaker, who was named the WCC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year and averages 19.4 points and 10.2 rebounds, the conference and school reported. Sophomore guard Allie Turner averages 3.5 assists and 14.4 points, Gonzaga said.
Ole Miss and Gonzaga have met three times, with the Rebels holding a 2-1 series edge, according to the schools. Their most recent meeting was a 71-48 Ole Miss victory in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, school records show.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
