GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Kennedy Todd-Williams and Madison Scott scored 20 points apiece and No. 7 seed Ole Miss beat No. 10 seed Mississippi State 85-73 on Thursday to advance to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals for the fifth straight season.
Ole Miss (20-9), which has won 20-plus in four straight seasons, will play top-ranked and No. 2 seed Texas in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Rebels lost to the then-No. 7 Longhorns 61-58 on Jan. 26 when SEC player of the year Madison Booker hit a jump shot with 13 seconds remaining to wipe out an eight-point deficit in the final five minutes.
Ole Miss made 9 of 11 shots spanning the first-quarter break and closed the first half on a 7-0 run to take a 42-35 lead. Tameiya Sadler, Todd-Williams and Scott each scored nine points in the half.
Ole Miss led the entire third quarter and scored the opening four points of the fourth for a 69-56 lead. Mississippi State never got closer than a nine-point deficit after that.
Reserves Sira Thienou had 13 points and Christeen Iwuala scored 11 for Ole Miss. The Rebels went 21 of 28 from the free-throw line, with six apiece from Todd-Williams and Scott.
Madina Okot had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Jerkaila Jordan also scored 14 for Mississippi State (21-11). Destiney McPhaul added 11 points off the bench, and Chandler Prater and reserve Eniya Russell each scored 10.
Ole Miss scored 20 points off 21 turnovers.
