OXFORD, Miss. — Sira Thienou delivered an impressive performance with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals, leading No. 18 Mississippi to a commanding 89-24 victory over Alabama State on Saturday.

Starr Jacobs and Christeen Iwuala contributed 12 points each, while Kennedy Todd-Williams scored 11, helping the Rebels improve their record to 5-2 following a challenging loss against No. 2 UConn by 13 points during their recent trip to the Bahamas.

For the Hornets (2-5), Kaitlyn Bryant was the top scorer with seven points, but the team struggled significantly, shooting only 19% from the field and committing 33 turnovers. Furthermore, Alabama State was at a disadvantage on the boards, being outrebounded 43-25.

The first quarter was a tough one for the Hornets, who fell behind early, managing to score just 4 points while allowing 24. The second quarter offered no reprieve as they managed just two field goals on 11 attempts, alongside seven turnovers, resulting in a stunning 33-6 scoring deficit for that quarter, pulling them down to 57-10 by halftime.

The Rebels capitalized on their opponent’s struggles, shooting an efficient 58%, and scoring 28 points off turnovers. They started the game strong, scoring the first 16 points and extending that run with 24 unanswered points at the start of the second quarter.

Ole Miss continued its dominance by outscoring Alabama State throughout the game, ending the third quarter with five consecutive points and starting the fourth quarter with seven more. This stretched the lead to 82-22. The Hornets continued to falter, finishing the final 10 minutes with one field goal from ten attempts and accumulating 10 turnovers.

This matchup marked Mississippi’s third victory against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents, with one more game set to follow. The Rebels are scheduled to face NC State on Thursday as part of the SEC/ACC Challenge.