Ole Miss' season ends in heartbreaking loss to Minnesota

Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin discusses the Rebels' second-round NCAA Tournament exit

Mar. 23, 2026 at 1:34am

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The Ole Miss women's basketball team saw its season come to an end on Sunday with a 65-63 loss to Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin discussed the tough defeat, including the challenge of not having leading scorer Cotie McMahon on the court at the end of the game due to foul trouble. McPhee-McCuin praised the environment created by the Minnesota fans, but felt the officiating could have been better. Despite the loss, the coach is optimistic about the future of the program and reloading for next season.

Why it matters

The loss ends Ole Miss' season and NCAA Tournament run, but provides valuable lessons for the program moving forward. McPhee-McCuin is focused on building the Rebels into a consistent contender, including hosting NCAA Tournament games in the future to replicate the home-court advantage Minnesota enjoyed.

The details

Ole Miss led Minnesota late, but the Gophers' Amaya Battle hit a near-buzzer-beating shot to win the game and advance to the Sweet 16. McPhee-McCuin was disappointed with the officiating, particularly the foul trouble that limited star player Cotie McMahon to just 20 minutes. The coach felt the environment created by the Minnesota fans played a key role in the outcome.

  • The game was played on Sunday, March 23, 2026.
  • Ole Miss' season ended with the second-round loss.

The players

Yolett McPhee-McCuin

The head coach of the Ole Miss women's basketball team.

Cotie McMahon

The leading scorer and newcomer of the year for Ole Miss, who was limited to 20 minutes due to foul trouble.

Amaya Battle

The Minnesota player who hit the game-winning shot to send the Gophers to the Sweet 16.

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What they’re saying

“I just thought this was an incredible environment. Shout out to the Minnesota fans that came out to support women's basketball and I know they got a treat by watching two good teams.”

— Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Head Coach, Ole Miss

“From my point of view, the last call was incorrect. We watched it 1,500 times. One of the things I do understand is that officials are human and environments create them to officiate in a particular type of way.”

— Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Head Coach, Ole Miss

What’s next

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The takeaway

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