'Super Proud!' Despite Struggles, Coach Yo Pleased With Ole Miss' Win vs. Auburn
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Following what head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin called an "emotionally draining" loss to the LSU Tigers on Sunday, the Ole Miss Rebels women's basketball team returned to the win column on Thursday in a 58-55 decision against the Auburn Tigers.
Thursday did not mark a perfect performance for the Rebels (12-4, 2-1 SEC) by any means, but after falling to LSU 84-73 over the weekend, Coach Yo was pleased with how her team responded, warts and all.
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"A lot of people would think I would come in here and talk about disappointments," McPhee-McCuin said, "and obviously there are some things we need to work on, but I'm extremely proud of my team. That last game we just played was an emotionally draining game for my players who have never been in that particular situation.
"People may say, 'What do you mean? Y'all went to the Sweet 16.' That team did not go to the Sweet 16 last year. There are people from that team that went to the Sweet 16, and one of the people that went was not playing the point guard position."
Ole Miss hung with LSU for much of the game in Oxford on Sunday, but after failing to capture the win against one of the top programs in the country, the response for the Rebels was always going to be important when they hosted Auburn this week.
"It was an emotionally draining 48 hours," McPhee-McCuin said. "I knew we would really have to hunker down to get a win tonight, and I am really happy for my team that we found a way to do that.
"I'm really proud because this is our first game like this since we've had this group, and they did well. Last time we had a game like this, we choked it off. We lost to Southern Miss, and this team found a way to win, so I'm super proud."
Ole Miss will return to the floor this Sunday when it travels to Starkville to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on SEC Network.
