OXFORD — Ole Miss women’s basketball was in a dangerous spot Sunday against Mississippi State at SJB Pavilion. Looking to split the season series with their rival, the Rebels trailed entering the final five minutes of the fourth quarter.

In two seasons under coach Sam Purcell, that’s typically been enough to signal a victory for the Bulldogs. MSU entered Sunday 38-0 under Purcell when holding a lead in the game’s final five minutes.

However, that trend came to an end. Behind six unanswered points to close regulation, Ole Miss forced overtime and went on to secure a 75-71 victory.

The Rebels (18-7, 8-4 SEC) were paced again by forward Madison Scott who collected 20 points and nine rebounds. Three others scored in double figures for Ole Miss.

Despite battling foul trouble, MSU guard Jerkaila Jordan and forward Jessika Carter combined for 31 points and 15 rebounds. Darrione Rogers gave the Bulldogs (20-7, 7-5) a boost off the bench with her 13 points.

Purcell is now 1-3 against Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.

Ole Miss rides hot start to build early lead

The Rebels entered Sunday as the SEC’s worst 3-point shooting team and ranked 12^th among conference teams in points per game. However, the Ole Miss offense came to life early to build a lead as large as 12 in the first half.

The Rebels connected on their first two 3-point attempts and made five of their first seven shots from the field. Marquesha Davis, Kennedy Todd-Williams and Scott combined for 20 of Ole Miss’ 22 first-quarter points.

Sunday marked the highest-scoring opening period for Ole Miss since the Rebels scored 28 in the first quarter against Florida on Jan. 25.

Turnovers cost Mississippi State in first half

MSU had mistakes on its side to help fuel the hot start for its rival, which wasn’t a new trend for the Bulldogs. Even through a stretch of five wins in six games, turnovers were a problem for Mississippi State.

Sunday’s first half was no different, with 12 MSU turnovers leading to eight Ole Miss points. Starting guard Lauren Park-Lane accounted for three of those turnovers, but six others contributed.

Ole Miss turned it over just seven times in the opening half, but Mississippi State wasn’t able to convert the turnovers into any points.

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What’s next on schedule for Mississippi State, Ole Miss

Mississippi State returns to Humphrey Coliseum on Thursday for a rematch with Kentucky. MSU follows that up with a trip to Alabama on Sunday. The Bulldogs got an overtime road win against the Wildcats on Feb. 1.

Ole Miss stays in Oxford to face Georgia on Thursday before playing at Missouri on Sunday. The Rebels won at UGA on Jan. 21 but haven’t faced the Tigers yet.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.