Ole Miss rallies from 19-point deficit to beat Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Despite facing its biggest deficit of the season by 19 points, there was no stopping Ole Miss from completing a comeback to defeat No. 24 Arkansas in overtime, 76-73 from Bud Walton Arena on Sunday.

In his return to Arkansas, Marquesha Davis played as he scored 20 points to lead Ole Miss (18-4, 7-2 SEC) to its first win over Arkansas (17-7, 4-5). SEC) since 2011. The win over the Razorbacks was also the Rebels’ first overtime victory since defeating Georgia Southern in 2019. The ranked win was the eighth ranked team in McPhee-McCuin’s five seasons at Ole Miss.

Overcoming a 19-point deficit, it was the biggest comeback for Ole Miss since coming back from 12 down against MTSU to win 65-56 in 2017.

Along with his career high in points, Davis also tallied a season-high tying eight rebounds. However, leading Ole Miss on the board was Madison Scott with her eighth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Scott extended his career scoring streak to two, with double figures in his last 12 games.

Snudda Collins, Myah Taylor and Ayanna Thompson added eight points each to contribute to the Rebel comeback. Collins was a force around the rim, tying his career high with three blocks.

Faced with an early deficit, Ole Miss worked to get out of the hole down 12-4 five minutes in. The Rebel defense was quick to work, holding the Razorbacks without a field goal the following four minutes. A quick 8-0 run with help from Scott and Thompson evened the score back up, tied at 12 all. Arkansas then used three possessions to take an 18-16 lead through the first quarter.

Ole Miss found itself in a scoring slump, as Arkansas took off on an 8-0 run of its own to rebuild the lead. A Taylor jumper broke up a Razorback run, yet Arkansas kept the heat from deep with five triples in the first half alone. Heading into the locker room at halftime, Ole Miss faced its largest deficit of the season, 39-20.

The Rebels re-energized out on a 6-0 run to start the second half, as they began to cut into the Razorback lead. A triple from Collins brought Ole Miss within 12, down 45-33 with 5:16 remaining in the third. Davis remained a reliable scoring option for the Rebels, with eight in the quarter as Ole Miss outscored 50-39.

Straight out of the huddle, Baker drove to the basket followed by another jumper from Scott to make it seven at 50-43 with 8:55 left on the clock. The Rebels stayed in the fight, pulling within three of a 6-0 run at 54-51. With the Razorbacks down, Ole Miss strung together a 7-0 run in the minute to even the game back up at 58 all while holding the Razorbacks without a field goal for over four minutes. The two teams went back and forth, until the Rebels trailed 64-62 with seven seconds left. It was Tyia Singleton who finished in the paint with a layup to force overtime for the second time in the last three games.

Taylor took over in overtime with two layups to provide the Rebels with breathing room, but it was Collins who secured it at the line with three straight free throws after he was fouled from beyond the arc. His three straight made it a game for Ole Miss to complete the comeback and secure its first victory in Fayetteville since 2011, 76-73.

The Rebels remain on the road to Knoxville on Saturday (February 2) to take on Tennessee. The game against the Lady Vols is scheduled to stream on SEC Network+ at 5:30 pm CT.