In the second thrilling No. 4/No. 5-seeded matchup of the day, Ole Miss defeated Baylor with a thrilling 69-63 win. The game came down to the wire, with Ole Miss pulling ahead in the final seconds, and held on to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Things were tight from the jump, with Ole Miss holding a four-point lead Baylor after the first quarter, but the Bears came back to hold a lead heading into halftime. The two teams traded points and leads throughout the third quarter as well, heading into the final frame tied 48-48.
The Rebels started the fourth quarter hot with a 6-0 run, forcing Baylor to take an early timeout. From there, Ole Miss continued to maintain a slim lead, even as the Bears kept pushing back. With less than four minutes left, a three-pointer from Baylor guard Sarah Andrews got the Bears within two points of the Rebels.
The two teams traded tough layups, with Baylor tying things up and Ole Miss pulling away again. With a minute left, the game was tied again, with 61 points each. But rebels senior Madison Scott hit a tricky jumper to give the Rebels the lead with 40 seconds left.
Emotions ran high in the final seconds: Senior Bears guard Yaya Felder fouled out after trying to grapple for the ball after Ole Miss guard KK Deans had tried to call a timeout. Although Felder wasn’t called for a flagrant, it left Baylor without one of its starters in the final 30 seconds of play. Deans hit both of her free throws, making it a two-possession lead for the Rebels.
A tough layup from Jada Walker, who briefly left the game with a non-contact injury, got Baylor back within two. But another risky foul gave Deans a chance for two more free throws, which she nailed.
This story will be updated.
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