NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Yolett McPhee-Mccuin’s first season as head coach of the University of Mississippi’s (Ole Miss) women’s basketball team came to an end yesterday.
The Rebels fell 64-57 in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) women’s basketball tournament to Florida University. Although Florida held just a two-point lead after the first half (18-16), it used an 11-20 shooting quarter in the third quarter to take a 43-30 advantage. The Rebels offense struggled in the second half, scoring less than 20 points through the final two quarters. The 13th-seeded Gators now move on to face No. 5 seed Missouri on Thursday.
Despite the fact that Ole Miss finished the season with a 9-22 overall record, the team had some good moments in McPhee-McCuin’s first season, including a win over nationally-ranked Kentucky in January.
“I don’t think anyone thought we would win an SEC game other than me,” she said.
“More than anything I’ll remember every step we had to take this year. I’ll remember beating a ranked team on the road and getting my first SEC team, and spending time with the girls.”
Despite the 2019 win/loss record, McPhee-McCuin expects the Rebels to find much more success next season. Freshman Taiyanna Jackson and junior college transfer Valerie Nesbitt headline the Rebels’ 2020 recruiting class. Jackson is a 6’5” centre from Chicago who is rated as a four-star prospect among ESPN’s top 100 collegiate prospects. As for Nesbitt, the 5’6” point guard is very familiar with McPhee-McCuin, playing on the Bahamian national team since her early teens.
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