Ole Miss Defeats Lady Vols in Rescheduled Game

No. 17 Rebels top No. 21 Tennessee 94-81 in SEC matchup

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The No. 17 Ole Miss Rebels defeated the No. 21 Tennessee Lady Vols 94-81 in a rescheduled SEC basketball game on Tuesday at Sandy and John Black Pavilion in Oxford, Mississippi. Ole Miss led 44-33 at halftime and was led by Cotie McMahon's 39 points and double-double. Tennessee's Talaysia Cooper scored a team-high 30 points in the loss.

Why it matters

This SEC matchup between two ranked teams was rescheduled from January due to inclement weather, and the outcome impacts the conference standings and NCAA Tournament seeding for both programs.

The details

Ole Miss shot 52.1% from the field and outrebounded Tennessee 41-33, while the Lady Vols committed 16 turnovers. In addition to McMahon's big game, the Rebels got double-digit scoring from three players. For Tennessee, Talaysia Cooper had 30 points, Lauren Hurst scored a career-high 16, and Alyssa Latham added 10 points.

  • The game was rescheduled from January 26 due to inclement weather.

The players

Cotie McMahon

The Ole Miss star scored a game-high 39 points and recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

Talaysia Cooper

The Tennessee guard led the Lady Vols with 30 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.

Lauren Hurst

The Tennessee forward scored a career-high 16 points and added 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This was a big win for us against a ranked SEC opponent. Our team played with great energy and execution throughout the game.”

— Kermit Davis, Ole Miss Head Coach

“We struggled to take care of the ball and that really hurt us tonight. We'll need to learn from this loss and get back on track.”

— Kellie Harper, Tennessee Head Coach

What’s next

Both teams will continue their SEC schedules, with Ole Miss hosting Vanderbilt on Saturday and Tennessee traveling to face Georgia on Sunday.

The takeaway

This game showcased the competitiveness of the SEC women's basketball landscape, with two ranked teams battling it out. Ole Miss proved it can compete with the conference's elite, while Tennessee will look to rebound from its second straight loss.