AUBURN, Ala. — KK Deans led the charge for No. 25 Mississippi with a stellar performance, scoring 20 points and hitting four shots from beyond the arc, while Kennedy Todd-Williams contributed significantly with 19 points, including 11 from the free-throw line. The Rebels dominated Auburn, winning 85-58 in their SEC opener on Thursday night.
Mississippi established control early in the match, taking a double-digit lead just over six minutes into the game thanks to a 12-0 scoring spree. By the end of the first quarter, the Rebels were ahead 26-10 and extended their lead to 45-20 by halftime, as Auburn struggled offensively and failed to score in the last four minutes of the first half.
As the game progressed, Tameiya Sadler pushed Ole Miss’s lead to its highest point at 64-34 with just 2:01 remaining in the third quarter. One of the critical factors in the Rebels’ victory was their ability to capitalize on Auburn’s mistakes, scoring 37 points off 29 turnovers committed by their opponents. Freshman Sira Thienou was instrumental in this effort, coming up with a team-best seven steals while also scoring 12 points, and Todd-Williams added five steals, further solidifying the defensive effort.
This performance also brought attention to the team’s record for steals, which currently stands at 12, set by Armintie Price during the 2006-07 season against Illinois. Sadler wrapped up the game with 10 points for Mississippi, who has now won their last four SEC openers and improved their season record to 10-3.
On the other side, DeYona Gaston emerged as the standout for Auburn, scoring an impressive 30 points fueled by eight field goals and 14 successful free throws. Mar’shaun Bostic also contributed with 11 points to the Tigers’ total.
The match was marked by an overwhelming number of fouls, with the teams tallying a combined 52 fouls and 56 free-throw attempts, successfully converting 42 of those attempts.
Looking ahead, Ole Miss will continue its series of road games against Texas A&M this Sunday, while Auburn is set to face No. 6 LSU on the same day.
