Team picks up wire-to-wire win over Michigan in the championship game
- Sheldon Longley
- Nov 21, 2023
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Bahamian Yolett ‘Coach Yo’ McPhee-McCuin, the women’s basketball head coach at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), was determined to leave the country with a championship and her team made sure of that as they easily took care of the Michigan Wolverines in the championship game of the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis (B4A) Women’s Basketball Tournament. The tournament wrapped up inside the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, The Bahamas, on Monday, with the Ole Miss Rebels winning 60-49 over the Wolverines.
For McPhee-McCuin, it was her second title as women’s basketball head coach at Ole Miss.
Unlike their previous two games of the three-day tournament, playing every day, the Lady Rebels got out to a fast start on Monday and never looked back in the complete wire-to-wire performance. They led by as much as 20 points in the one-sided affair, coasting to the comfortable win.
“I knew they would be prepared and I knew they would be well-coached so for us, we wanted to win the first four minutes of the game and then go from there,” said McPhee-McCuin. “We wanted to send a message that we were here to win a championship. I felt like we were able to do that.”
The only setback in the game for the Lady Rebels was an injury sustained by starting point guard Kirsten ‘KK’ Deans. She went down with a knee injury at the 2:29 mark of the opening quarter, and tried to come back, but she had an obvious limp and was forced to sit out. Fortunately for the Rebels, her services won’t be needed as they controlled the game with their defense and their offense fed off that.
Marija Avlijas, who got most of the minutes in Deans’ absence, led the Rebels in scoring with 11 points, tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) Madison Scott added 10 points and seven rebounds and Marquesha Davis and Silentianna ‘Snudda’ Collins scored nine apiece.
“‘KK’ is an important piece to what we have going on. It shook me up and it shook up the team, so this win, through adversity, will be one for the books,” said McPhee-McCuin. “We’re going to hope for the best with ‘KK’. We intend to rally around her and play Ole Miss basketball the rest of the way.”
Others were able to come in and stepped up in Deans’ absence, particularly Avlijas and fellow point guard Zakiya Stephenson.
“I was able to play 12 players today and that just shows our depth,” said McPhee-McCuin. “I’m using non-conference to develop the bench, to continue to develop continuity and chemistry in the team, discover our identity and be challenged like we were in this tournament and beyond. We can’t win a championship one through five, but we could win a championship one through fifteen. We have people who come off the bench who could start. Hopefully that gives them confidence to continue to build and accept their roles on this team.”
Laila Phelia led Michigan with 21 points. She was 4-for-18 from the field but made 11-for-12 from the free throw line. Jordan Hobbs had the second-most points for the Michigan starters with six. Wolverines’ Head Coach Kim Barnes Arico said it was a tough ending but they enjoyed themselves regardless.
“The tournament and the competition was amazing. It gave us an opportunity to play three days in a row which is going to be preparation for the Big Ten Tournament,” she said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better three days than obviously coming away with a win today. We really learned a lot about our team and this is going to give us an opportunity to go back home and work on some things. We are going to learn from this and we will be better because of it. The hospitality has been exceptional and the tournament was well ran. It’s been really beautiful and just phenomenal.”
Ole Miss defense was suffocating. They held an opponent to less than 50 points for the third time this season, and since the start of the 2021-22 season, Ole Miss has held eight Power Five opponents under 50 points.
They led 16-11 after one, 27-19 at the half and were up by as much as 20 points in the second half. Tyia Singleton made a layup just before the third-quarter buzzer to extend their lead to 48-30.
“I knew they were going to be disciplined and they wanted to play inside-out, so we had to make a decision as to where we wanted to dictate their offense,” said McPhee-McCuin. “We just tried to clog up the paint and make them kick it out and then we used our athleticism to contest shots. It took a team effort to get it done today because they are so good inside.”
Dancing to the beat of the goatskin drums, the blowing of the horns and clanging of the cowbells afterwards, the Bahamian sports legend said this is the feeling she came home to experience. Last year, she was unable to enjoy it like she wanted to as they fell short in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship inside the Baha Mar Convention Center at Baha Mar.
“I love junkanoo music and the fact that I couldn’t dance last year kept me up at night. This meant a lot,” McPhee-McCuin said. “The Bahamian people helped will us to a win today and for that we are grateful. It feels great to win. Inside, I am screaming with joy. It means a lot.”
Following their semifinal win over Arizona, McPhee-McCuin made a clarion call for the Bahamian people to come out and show them love and support in the championship game and they got just that. Students from a couple schools were in attendance as well as scores of other Bahamians.
Adorned in Bahari shirts for the duration of the tournament, she said she wanted to show her love and loyalty for The Bahamas and is always grateful for the support she receives.
“For me to be able to come home and do this hopefully provides inspiration for the youth,” said McPhee-McCuin. “I was born and raised in the 242 (The Bahamas) and to be able to go out and live a dream – play college basketball and have an opportunity to do what I’m doing, I hope that it provides inspiration. There are truly no ceilings as long as you have work ethic and keep God first and good people around you.”
The Bahamian coach thanked the team at Battle 4 Atlantis and everyone who played a part in staging the three-day basketball tournament. The men’s Battle 4 Atlantis tournament will get underway tomorrow.
Ole Miss returns home for two games, hosting the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans on Saturday and the University of Louisville Cardinals on November 29. Michigan will host the Eastern Michigan University Eagles on Friday and the Southern Illinois University (SIU) at Edwardsville Cougars on November 29.