In the second thrilling No. 4-vs.-No. 5 matchup of the day, Ole Miss defeated Baylor 69-63. The game came down to the wire, with the Rebels pulling ahead in the final seconds before securing the win in front of a Bears home crowd, advancing to the Sweet 16.
Things were tight from the jump, with Ole Miss holding a four-point lead over Baylor after the first quarter, but the Bears came back heading into halftime. The two teams traded points throughout the third quarter as well, heading into the final frame tied at 48.
The Rebels started the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run, forcing Baylor to take an early timeout. From there, Ole Miss continued to maintain a slim lead, even as the Bears kept pushing back: With less than four minutes left, a 3-pointer from Baylor guard Sarah Andrews got the Bears within two points of the Rebels.
The two teams traded tough layups, with Baylor tying things up and Ole Miss pulling away again. With a minute left, the game was tied at 61. But Rebels senior Madison Scott hit a tricky jumper to give the Rebels the lead with 40 seconds left.
Emotions ran high in the final seconds: Senior Bears guard Yaya Felder fouled out after trying to grapple for the ball while Ole Miss guard KK Deans tried to call a timeout. Although Felder wasn’t called for a flagrant, it left Baylor without one of its starters in the final 30 seconds of play. Deans hit both of her free throws, making it a two-possession lead for the Rebels.
A tough layup from Jada Walker, who briefly left the game with a non-contact injury, got Baylor back within two. But another risky foul gave Deans a chance for two more free throws, which she made. Ole Miss finished with the upset win in front of a suddenly quiet crowd in Waco.
Both teams struggled with turnovers in the defensive matchup — Ole Miss finished with 13, while Baylor had 21. But the Rebels were able to use the Bears’ mistakes to their advantage, scoring 15 points off turnovers compared to Baylor’s 10.
Freshman guard Sira Thienou went off for Ole Miss, picking up 16 points and six rebounds in the win. Senior Baylor center Aaronette Vonleh also scored 16 points, adding five rebounds, two steals and two blocks, but that performance alone wasn’t enough to lead the Bears to victory.
The win sends the Rebels to their third Sweet 16 since 1992, with their last appearance coming in 2023. Ole Miss has never advanced past the Elite Eight.
But first, the No. 5 Rebels will likely have a big challenge in the Sweet 16. Ole Miss will face the winner of No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 8 Richmond, which takes place later on Sunday.
