Ole Miss women defeat Florida to reach first SEC semifinal since 1993

Published 4:59 pm Friday, March 4, 2022

The Ole Miss women’s basketball team defeated No. 23 Florida on Friday in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament, and will move on to their first conference semifinals since the 1992-1993 season.

The Rebels (23-7) held off a late rally to secure their second win of the season over the Gators, who erased a 14-point third quarter deficit against Vanderbilt on Thursday to reach the quarterfinal round.

Superstar center Shakira Austin played perhaps her best game in an Ole Miss uniform, posting 27 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and six blocks in the 70-60 win.

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The 6-foot-5 Austin dominated the paint on both ends of the floor, imposing her will on a game that was crucial for the Rebels’ NCAA tournament seeding.

Senior guard Angel Baker was also a key contributor in the win, recording 15 points on 6-14 shooting, including 1-3 from beyond the arc.

Ole Miss moves on to face No. 1 South Carolina at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday. The Rebels lost both regular-season contests against the Gamecocks this year, falling 69-40 in Columbia, S.C. on Jan. 27 before losing a heartbreaker at home on Feb. 27 in the final game of the regular season.