GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Mississippi women’s basketball team lost to Florida 74-67 Thursday evening at Exactech Arena at Stephen O’Connell Center. The Rebels, ranked 19th/20th, finished their road schedule with a 21-9 record and an 8-7 mark in Southeastern Conference play.
Tianna Thompson scored a career-high 25 points for Ole Miss, including seven three-pointers, tying her for the fourth-most in a game in program history. She was supported by Cotie McMahon with 15 points and Christeen Iwuala with 10. Latasha Lattimore contributed defensively, recording two blocks to reach a season total of 66, tying her for third most in a single season by a Rebel.
Florida’s Liv McGill led all scorers with 28 points, adding eight assists and six rebounds. The Gators improved to 17-13 overall and 5-10 in the SEC. The game was close early, with neither team surpassing 10 points in the first five minutes. Thompson’s three-pointer gave Ole Miss an early lead, and she continued to heat up, tying her career high with three triples in the first quarter.
The Rebels maintained momentum into the second quarter, taking a 17-16 lead after Thompson’s fourth three-pointer. They extended their lead with contributions from Lattimore and Powe, but Florida responded, ending the first half with a 40-37 advantage. The Gators started the third quarter strong, scoring the first four points to push their lead to eight.
Iwuala scored six straight points to tie the game, but Florida regained control in the final quarter, opening a 14-point lead. Thompson hit her fifth and sixth three-pointers to cut the deficit to five, but the Gators responded to seal the win. Ole Miss will honor its seniors in its final regular-season game against Texas A&M on March 1 in Oxford, with tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m. CT.
