Ole Miss
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (03/19/2026) — The Ole Miss Rebels unleashed a torrent of three-pointers Thursday night, overwhelming the Gonzaga Bulldogs in an 81-66 wire-to-wire victory at Williams Arena. Ole Miss never trailed, using a dominant first-half shooting performance to build a lead that proved insurmountable, showcasing the offensive firepower that makes the Rebels a formidable opponent on any court.
How It Happened
Ole Miss established its game plan from the opening tip, building an early advantage from beyond the arc. The Rebels opened up an 8-0 lead in the first four minutes, sparked by three-pointers from forward Debreasha Powe and center Latasha Lattimore. The barrage continued throughout the first quarter, with guard Denim DeShields and Allie Turner connecting from deep to help push the Ole Miss lead to 20-9 by the end of the period.
The second quarter offered little relief for Gonzaga. While the Bulldogs found some rhythm with a layup from Jaiden Haile, Ole Miss consistently had an answer. Back-to-back threes from Ines Bettencourt and Powe re-established a double-digit lead just two minutes into the frame. The Rebels closed the half with authority, as long-range jumpers from Turner and Cotie McMahon in the final minutes sent Ole Miss into the locker room with a commanding 39-23 advantage.
The game was decided in the third quarter. Ole Miss erupted offensively, effectively putting the contest out of reach. After Christeen Iwuala started the half with a layup, the Rebels continued their aerial assault. A three from DeShields at the 6:38 mark swelled the lead to 24 points. Less than two and a half minutes later, another triple from Lattimore extended the margin to 59-31. By the time DeShields sank a free throw with three seconds left, Ole Miss held a staggering 68-37 lead heading into the final frame.
To their credit, the Gonzaga Bulldogs showed considerable fight in the fourth quarter. Sparked by a trio of three-pointers from guard Teryn Gardner and another from Allie Turner, Gonzaga mounted a significant run, cutting the deficit to 74-62 with just over a minute to play. However, the comeback effort started too late, and the massive lead Ole Miss had built was too much to overcome. The Rebels sealed the convincing 81-66 win at the free-throw line.
Turning Point
The decisive stretch occurred midway through the third quarter. Leading 50-29, Ole Miss quashed any remaining Gonzaga hopes with an overwhelming 9-2 run in just over two minutes. The sequence was punctuated by deep three-pointers from Latasha Lattimore and Denim DeShields, pushing the score to 59-31. This offensive explosion broke the game open permanently and turned the fourth quarter into a formality.
Key Contributors
While complete individual statistics were not immediately available, the Ole Miss offense flowed through its cadre of dangerous perimeter shooters. Allie Turner and Denim DeShields were instrumental, hitting timely threes and free throws throughout the contest. Debreasha Powe and Latasha Lattimore set the tone early with crucial first-quarter jumpers that established the Rebels' offensive identity for the night. For Gonzaga, Teryn Gardner provided a significant offensive spark late in the game, connecting on multiple three-pointers in the fourth quarter to lead the Bulldogs' comeback attempt.
What It Means
For the Ole Miss Rebels, this is a statement victory on a neutral floor. Their ability to dominate a game from the three-point line, shooting 39% from deep as a team, sends a clear message about their offensive ceiling. The wire-to-wire win demonstrates a high level of execution and focus. For the Gonzaga Bulldogs, the loss exposes a vulnerability in defending the perimeter. While their late-game resilience was impressive, the inability to slow the Rebels' early shooting clinic created a deficit that even a furious fourth-quarter rally could not erase.