March Madness 2025: Ole Miss holds on for thrilling upset over Baylor in front of Bears' home crowd
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 the Rebels pulling ahead in the final seconds before securing the win in front of a Bears home crowd, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.
Things were tight from the jump, with Ole Miss holding a four-point lead over Baylor after the first quarter, but the Bears came back heading into halftime. The two teams traded points 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.
One word to describe Madi - CLUTCH.@IAMMADISCOTT | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/TSvF7tuG0J
— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) March 23, 2025
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. Ole Miss finished with the 69-63 upset win in front of a suddenly quiet crowd in Waco.
The win sends the Rebels to their third Sweet Sixteen since 1992, with their last appearance coming in 2023. Ole Miss has never advanced past the Elite Eight, have last appeared in that round in 2007.
But first, the No. 5-seeded Rebels will likely have a big challenge in the Sweet Sixteen. Ole Miss will face the winner of No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 8 Richmond, which takes place later on Sunday.
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