The No. 17 Ole Miss Rebels will be facing the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks in what is expected to be a high-profile Sunday matchup in the SEC. This will be the first time ever ESPN’s College GameDay will make an on-campus visit for both programs. Ole Miss enters the matchup with a chip on their shoulder, playing their fourth game against a Top 25 team this week. Will the Rebels be able to make it far in this matchup? Here’s what it looks like.
Prediction
The Gamecocks have been dominant than ever at home, averaging 92.6 PPG and has maintained a 40.6 point average margin of victory in Columbia this season. Dawn Staley’s squad leads the SEC in both goal percentage (.478) and defensive field goal percentage (.361), proving to be a nightmare matchup for any tired team. On the other hand, Ole Miss enters this matchup after a heartbreaking collapse against LSU on Thursday. The Rebels went 0-for-17 from the floor in the fourth quarter, ultimately falling 78-70 at the SJB Pavilion in Oxford.
The Gamecocks’ Joyce Edwards (20.1 PPG) and Madina Okot (1.6 BPG) have been anchoring a defense that ranks 5th nationally in blocks. Ole Miss might try to counter this threat with their star forward Cotie McMahon, who recently dropped 39 points against Tennessee. If McMahon is able to penetrate South Carolina’s frontcourt into foul trouble, this could be an easy upset to pull against the Gamecocks.
Ole Miss may have talents like Cotie McMahon and are considered a legitimate Top 20 team. However, the odds are heavily stacked against them. The Rebels are playing perhaps the best team in the country on the road, with the added pressure of a College GameDay broadcast and significant physical fatigue. For South Carolina, their bench depth and rim protection could help pull away early in the second half.
ESPN’s matchup predictor estimates a 92.9% chance for South Carolina to win this matchup.
Lineups
Ole Miss Lineup
- Christeen Iwuala
- Cotie McMahon
- Latasha Lattimore
- Tianna Thompson
- Debreasha Powe
South Carolina Lineup
- Joyce Edwards
- Madina Okot
- Tessa Johnson
- Raven Johnson
- Ta’Niya Latson
Injury Report
As per Covers.com, there are no injuries to report on South Carolina’s end. For the Ole Miss Rebels, guard Kezza Giffa has been listed as questionable for undisclosed reasons and her playing tonight could be a game-time decision.
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