Almost 9,000 Mississippi junior high school students packed the SJB Pavilion at Ole Miss recently to watch a fiery basketball game between the Lady Rebels women’s basketball team and the Jacksonville State Dolphins.
The students, so happy to be out of school, cheered the team just as loudly as Ole Miss fans always cheer for the Rebels’ football team. As a former Lady Rebel with memories of the team from 1976, I cheered loudly, too. I am a big fan. With each game, the Lady Rebels get better and better and are breaking records.
Starting with eight wins and two losses on “Kids Day,” the Lady Rebels beat the Florida team with 14 points, then a few days later clobbered Auburn with 22 points and then tackled McNeese State (St. Charles, LA) with 19 points. Most joyous was their defeat Sunday of Mississippi State, 61 to 50, for the first time since 2007. These victories placed them at position two of 14 women’s teams in the Southwestern Conference.
Since the “Kids Day” win, they’ve conquered five teams straight with a 2-0 SEC score and a 13-2, win/loss. Yet, the home-game seats remain largely empty, with the exception of the junior high students.
Coach Yo: ‘We Need the Support Back’
Ole Miss women’s basketball coach, Yolett McPhee-McCuin, also known as Coach Yo, addressed my question at a press conference after the game.
“You win games with home court advantage,” she said—something that many basketball fans often say about the “home court advantage”—whether in high school, college or on professional teams. Your chances of winning are greater with a packed, loud stadium of fans versus an empty one.
“Sometimes it’s sad for us to come out and not have people in the stands. I’m just going to be completely honest. It’s discouraging when we bring top recruits across the country, and no one’s here. It’s discouraging when our players work their butts off. We need people to come out and support women’s basketball.
Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, pictured with members of the Lady Rebels, says it’s sad for her players to come out