UNIVERSITY, Miss. (Interstat) — In a commanding display of dominance on both ends of the floor, the Mississippi Rebels cruised to a 94-44 victory over the Southern Lady Jaguars in a non-conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.

A crowd of 2,299 watched as the Rebels improved to 3-0 on the young season, while Southern remained winless at 0-3.

The game was decided early, with Mississippi establishing a 20-9 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 43-20 by halftime. The Rebels put the contest completely out of reach with a 30-point third quarter, outscoring the Lady Jaguars by 20 in the period to take a 73-30 lead into the final frame.

Mississippi’s offense operated with ruthless efficiency, scoring 94 points on 72 possessions for an offensive rating of 130.0. The Rebels shot 53 percent from the floor, making 33 of their 62 attempts, and dominated inside with 50 points in the paint. They also capitalized on Southern’s mistakes, scoring 19 points off 16 Lady Jaguar turnovers.

Defensively, Mississippi was equally formidable, holding Southern to a 32 percent shooting night and an offensive rating of just 62.0. The Lady Jaguars managed only 18 points in the paint and converted just 6 points off Rebel turnovers.

Christeen Iwuala led the charge for Mississippi, posting a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in just 23 minutes of action. The 6-foot-2 forward from San Antonio was a model of efficiency, making 10 of her 14 field goal attempts.

She was joined in the double-double club by Cotie McMahon, who contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds. McMahon, a 6-foot guard from Dayton, Ohio, also dished out two assists.

The Rebels’ depth was on full display, with eight different players scoring at least six points. Latasha Lattimore, a 6-foot-4 center from Toronto, nearly had a double-double with six points, eight rebounds and two assists. Denim DeShields, a 5-foot-5 guard from Atlanta, directed the offense with a game-high six assists to go along with seven points and five rebounds. Lauren Jacobs provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, all scored in the second half.

For Southern, Zaria Hurston was the lone bright spot. The 5-foot-10 guard from Decatur, Georgia, logged 32 minutes and scored a game-high 21 points on 9-of-22 shooting, adding six rebounds and two blocks. No other Lady Jaguar scored more than six points.

Southern struggled to find any offensive rhythm, hampered by 16 turnovers and a 4-to-15 disadvantage in offensive rebounds, which limited their second-chance opportunities. The Lady Jaguars also shot just 53 percent from the free-throw line, making only 10 of 19 attempts.

The Rebels set the tone from the opening tip, which was won by Iwuala. After an initial back-and-forth that saw the score tied at 4-4, Mississippi used a 16-5 run to close the first quarter, a surge from which Southern never recovered.

Mississippi’s win continued a strong start to the season, having previously defeated Norfolk State and Alabama A&M by an average of 40 points. Southern, meanwhile, has faced a difficult opening slate, with losses to Iowa and Iowa State preceding this contest.

Looking ahead, Mississippi travels to face Memphis on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Southern returns home to host Tougaloo on the same date.