OXFORD, Miss. -- — Christeen Iwuala scored 15 points, Cotie McMahon added 13 in her Mississippi debut, and the 12th-ranked Rebels beat Norfolk State 87-46 on Monday in a season opener for both teams.

Ole Miss improved to 6-2 in season openers under head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. Last season the Rebels opened with a 68-66 loss in a Top 25 battle with JuJu Watkins and USC in Paris, France.

Ole Miss returns three key players from last year’s squad, including starters Iwuala and Sira Thienou, to go with nine newcomers.

Thienou finished with eight points and nine rebounds. Latasha Lattimore and Debreasha Powe each scored 12 points, and Tianna Thompson added 11. McMahon, an Ohio State transfer, made four of the Rebels' 13 3-pointers and Thompson added three.

Ole Miss led 40-25 at halftime after making 7 of 18 3-pointers and outrebounding Norfolk State 24-13.

Jasha Clinton led Norfolk State with 16 points and Da’Brya Clark added 14.

Jermaine Woods began his first season at the helm of the Norfolk State, which is coming off a 30-5 season. The Spartans won the MEAC Tournament last season for an NCAA Tournament berth.

The Rebels won the only other matchup with the Spartans during the 2018-19 season. The 60-42 win began McPhee-McCuin’s head coaching career at Mississippi.

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