OXFORD, Miss. (Interstat) — Cotie McMahon scored 24 points and Latasha Lattimore added 18 points and a dominant presence on the glass as Mississippi cruised to an 86-52 victory over Wofford in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.

The Rebels, improving to 9-1, overwhelmed the visiting Terriers from the opening tip, using a decisive 25-10 first-quarter run to establish a lead they would never relinquish. The most important stretch of the game came in that opening period, where Mississippi’s superior size, athleticism, and offensive execution immediately put Wofford in a hole from which it could not recover.

The opening sequence set the tone. After Lattimore won the opening tip, McMahon scored on a layup just 21 seconds into the game. Mississippi’s defense forced a quick Wofford turnover, and though the Rebels missed their next attempt, they secured an offensive rebound, leading to a layup and a free throw from Christeen Iwuala for an early 5-0 lead. Wofford’s offensive struggles were evident, missing its first three shots before Toni Warren connected on a 3-pointer for the Terriers’ first points. However, Mississippi responded with a 9-0 burst, fueled by McMahon’s driving layups and a three-point play from Iwuala, to push the lead to 16-3 midway through the quarter.

Mississippi’s relentless pressure in the paint and on the boards was the story. The Rebels outrebounded Wofford 21-5 on the offensive glass, leading to a staggering 58-26 advantage in points in the paint. Lattimore, the 6-foot-4 center from Toronto, was instrumental in that dominance, pulling down multiple offensive rebounds for putbacks and altering countless shots defensively. Her early work alongside McMahon, who added five assists, stifled any attempt by Wofford to build momentum.

Wofford, which fell to 4-6, found brief offensive rhythm in the second quarter behind Queen Ikhiuwu. The sophomore from Madrid, Spain, scored eight of her team-high 14 points in the period, including two consecutive jump shots that briefly cut the deficit to 29-23. But Mississippi answered with a 7-0 run, capped by a Latasha Lattimore layup, to push the lead back to 13 and effectively end the threat. The Terriers would get no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

The Rebels put the game fully out of reach with a 24-point third quarter, extending their lead to 65-41. McMahon and Lattimore continued to spearhead the offense, while the defense held Wofford to 35.2% shooting for the game. The Terriers managed just one made 3-pointer on eight attempts and committed 11 turnovers, which Mississippi converted into 11 points.

Iwuala finished with 13 points for Mississippi, which shot 47.9% from the field as a team. Denim DeShields contributed six points and three assists off the bench.

For Wofford, Warren joined Ikhiuwu in double figures with 15 points, and Maddie Heiss added 10. The Terriers’ offensive rating of 74.8 on 70 possessions underscored the difficulty of scoring against the Rebels’ stout defense.

A crowd of 2,725 watched as Mississippi methodically controlled every facet of the game, maintaining a double-digit lead for the final 32 minutes. The Rebels’ efficient offense, which posted a rating of 125.4, and overwhelming rebounding edge proved too much for a Wofford team that entered having won two of its last three games.

Mississippi will look to continue its strong start to the season when it hosts South Carolina State on Sunday. Wofford travels to face East Carolina on Wednesday.