COLUMBIA, Mo. (Interstat) — Cotie McMahon scored 33 points and Mississippi used a dominant second half to pull away from Missouri for an 82-61 victory in a Southeastern Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at Mizzou Arena.

The Rebels, improving to 17-4 overall, outscored the Tigers 53-38 after halftime, including a 33-point fourth-quarter outburst that turned a competitive contest into a lopsided result. Missouri fell to 13-9.

The game’s pivotal stretch came late in the third quarter and bled into the fourth. Leading by just four points at 49-45, Mississippi closed the third on a 7-0 run, capped by a Latasha Lattimore layup with 13 seconds left. The Rebels then opened the final period with a 9-2 surge, pushing their lead to 65-47 with 7:43 remaining on a Cotie McMahon three-point play. Missouri never got closer than 14 points the rest of the way.

McMahon, a guard from Dayton, Ohio, was the engine for Mississippi, adding five assists and two blocks to her game-high point total in 37 minutes. She spearheaded the decisive run with a driving layup, a free throw, and a key assist during the 16-2 sequence that spanned the quarters. Her performance was a sharp rebound from a 9-point outing in the Rebels’ loss at Georgia on Jan. 18.

Sira Thienou of Bamako, Mali, provided crucial support with 17 points, including three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help extinguish any hope of a Missouri comeback. Latasha Lattimore of Toronto anchored the defense with four blocks and contributed 10 points.

Missouri was led by Grace Slaughter of Grain Valley, Missouri, who scored 21 points. Shannon Dowell of O’Fallon, Illinois, added 15 points for the Tigers.

The first half was a defensive struggle, with Mississippi taking a narrow 29-23 lead into the break. Both teams shot under 35% from the field in the opening 20 minutes. The Rebels found their rhythm after halftime, shooting 53.1% from the floor in the second half while holding Missouri to 37.5% shooting.

Mississippi’s defensive pressure was a constant, forcing 14 turnovers and blocking seven shots. The Rebels also controlled the glass with a 13-8 advantage in offensive rebounds, leading to 15 second-chance points.

Missouri struggled from beyond the arc all night, making just 4 of 20 attempts. The Tigers were efficient at the free-throw line, hitting 15 of 17, but could not generate enough consistent offense to keep pace with Mississippi’s second-half explosion.

The Rebels’ offensive efficiency was notable, scoring 113.1 points per 100 possessions compared to Missouri’s 81.3. Mississippi also distributed the ball more effectively, finishing with eight assists to Missouri’s seven.

A crowd of 2,862 at Mizzou Arena saw the Tigers’ two-game home winning streak in SEC play come to an end. Mississippi has now won five of its last six games.

The victory keeps Mississippi in strong contention in the SEC standings as the conference season nears its midpoint. The Rebels will host Tennessee on Monday. Missouri will look to regroup quickly, hosting Texas A&M on Sunday.

The final score of 143 points fell under the pregame over/under line of 139.5. Mississippi entered the game as a heavy favorite, with statistical models giving the Rebels an 87.4% probability to win.