Cotie McMahon took center stage Monday night in Birmingham, pouring in 20 points to lead No. 13 Ole Miss past Auburn, 71-45, in a wire-to-wire performance that showcased just how dangerous this Rebels team can be when it locks in on both ends of the floor.
From the opening tip at Legacy Arena, Ole Miss came out with purpose-and McMahon was the engine driving it. Her scoring touch, court awareness, and leadership set the tone early and never let up.
The Rebels improved to 19-4 on the season and 6-2 in SEC play, picking up their second straight win at a neutral site. Next stop: Tuscaloosa, where they’ll face Alabama on Thursday night.
Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin didn’t hold back when talking about her star forward after the game.
“Cotie should be in the discussions for SEC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year Awards,” McPhee-McCuin said. “She’s in discussion with most WNBA teams because she’s just a really special player. People scheme against her, and she just finds a way to score.”
That’s not just coach-speak-it’s backed up by the way McMahon continues to deliver, even as opponents throw everything they’ve got at her. Monday’s win marked the best 23-game start of McPhee-McCuin’s tenure in Oxford, and it’s no coincidence that the Rebels are rolling behind McMahon’s consistency and the team’s commitment to defense.
And that defense? It’s been nothing short of suffocating.
Ole Miss has now held opponents under 50 points eight times this season, and Auburn became the latest victim. The Tigers simply couldn’t get comfortable.
They turned the ball over, missed open looks, and never found a rhythm as the Rebels dictated the pace from the jump.
Debreasha Powe opened the scoring with a quick four points, sparking a 22-10 first-quarter lead. McMahon added timely buckets to keep the pressure on, and Ole Miss never looked back. Auburn struggled to generate offense, while the Rebels turned defense into offense, pushing the tempo and capitalizing on mistakes.
The second quarter was more of the same. Christeen Iwuala made her presence felt early with a strong finish inside, and McMahon followed with a pair of layups that pushed the lead to 14.
Ole Miss kept mixing it up-attacking the paint, hitting from the perimeter, and turning Auburn’s miscues into fast-break points. By halftime, it was 36-19, and the Rebels had held the Tigers to their lowest-scoring half in SEC play this season.
Coming out of the break, Ole Miss didn’t let up. Sira Thienou went to work on the glass, pulling down rebounds and creating second-chance opportunities. McMahon stayed in control of the offense, and the bench chipped in with 11 points to keep the energy high and the lead safe.
Defensively, the Rebels stayed locked in. Auburn managed just 14 points in the fourth quarter, and by the final buzzer, the numbers told the full story.
Ole Miss outrebounded Auburn 51-23, including a dominant 34-14 edge on the defensive boards. They scored 40 points in the paint and held Auburn to just 7 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
The Tigers turned the ball over 22 times but managed only 12 points off those chances.
Iwuala finished with a double-double-12 points and 11 rebounds-while Thienou added 14 points and eight boards of her own. Powe chipped in with eight points and four rebounds, rounding out a well-balanced effort from a team that looks increasingly confident and cohesive.
McPhee-McCuin credited her team’s mental toughness, especially after a challenging travel schedule and disruptions caused by Winter Storm Fern.
“I just learned that they’re a resilient group,” she said. “They like each other, and they’re focused on their goals.
I asked them if they wanted to go home, and they said ‘No, we want to stay on the road and do our thing.’ That speaks volumes about their character.”
It also speaks volumes about where this team is heading. Monday’s win wasn’t just about talent-it was about maturity, focus, and a group that’s starting to believe in what it can accomplish.
“They stayed engaged, kept talking in the huddles and came out ready to play,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I’m really proud of how they handled it.”
With McMahon leading the charge and the defense playing at an elite level, Ole Miss is starting to look like a team nobody wants to see come March.