Ole Miss Rebels and Gonzaga Bulldogs square off in the opening round of NCAA Tournament

Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-9, 16-4 WCC) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (23-11, 10-9 SEC)

Minneapolis; Friday, 3:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Rebels -13.5; over/under is 135.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 19 Ole Miss plays in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Gonzaga.

The Rebels are 10-9 against SEC opponents and 13-2 in non-conference play. Ole Miss is seventh in the SEC at limiting opponent scoring, allowing 62.0 points while holding opponents to 40.8% shooting.

The Bulldogs’ record in WCC action is 16-4. Gonzaga ranks third in the WCC with 11.1 offensive rebounds per game led by Jaiden Haile averaging 3.1.

Ole Miss’ average of 5.1 made 3-pointers per game is 1.0 fewer made shot on average than the 6.1 per game Gonzaga gives up. Gonzaga has shot at a 45.4% clip from the field this season, 4.6 percentage points higher than the 40.8% shooting opponents of Ole Miss have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Tianna Thompson is shooting 41.9% from beyond the arc with 1.1 made 3-pointers per game for the Rebels, while averaging 6.1 points. Cotie McMahon is shooting 38.4% and averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.

Lauren Whittaker is averaging 19.4 points and 10.2 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Allie Turner is averaging 14.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Rebels: 4-6, averaging 70.4 points, 31.5 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 6.4 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 39.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 73.5 points per game.

Bulldogs: 8-2, averaging 75.8 points, 37.5 rebounds, 16.3 assists, 7.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 61.4 points.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up