No. 25/25 Ole Miss women’s basketball’s historic 50th season concluded in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament after a 76-62 loss to No. 1/1 UCLA on Friday evening at the Spokane Arena.

The Rebels (22-11, 10-6 SEC) capped off the year by keeping the game competitive throughout, but the Bruins’ (33-2, 16-2 Big Ten) strong second half helped them pull away for the win. The Rebels remained stern in their defense, forcing 19 Bruin turnovers while stealing the ball eight times. Opposite UCLA, Ole Miss turned the ball over only six times.

Kennedy Todd-Williams had 13 points and nine rebounds, tying with Christeen Iwuala for the most by individual Rebels in the game. Todd-Williams had double figure points for the 20th time this season, joining Madison Scott as the two Rebels to accomplish that feat this year.

Tameiya Sadler and KK Deans united with Todd-Williams in double-digits, scoring 14 and 13 points, respectively. Sadler’s mark led the team as she tacked on a steal, while Deans had a block.

Deans opened the scoring for Ole Miss by making her 227th career 3-pointer, moving past Bianca Thomas for the second-most in a career by a Rebel. Her bucket kickstarted a Rebel movement to inch closer toward a lead in the first quarter.

The momentum in the latter half of the first frame continued into the second quarter, with Ole Miss scoring five unanswered to move within a basket of the lead. The Rebels showcased their prowess on the glass in the second, staying even with the top team in the nation in terms of rebounding margin. Todd-Williams and Iwuala shined in this regard, each with at least six in the first half, as the Rebels outrebounded the Bruins in the first half, 23-21.

Ole Miss displayed impeccable ball protection throughout the first half. The Rebels didn’t commit a turnover until there was fewer than two minutes remaining in the first 20 minutes. On the other end, UCLA gave up eight in the entire first half. The solid ball protection led to Ole Miss outscoring UCLA, 17-11, in the second quarter. The strong period put Ole Miss within one point of the lead, sitting at 30-29 at the conclusion of the half.

After the Bruins opened the second half on a run, Sadler found success in the offensive zone, scoring six points in the frame. She improved her point total to 12 for the game, the first Rebel to get to double figures in the game. She reached 10-plus points for the eighth time this season.

Facing a deficit entering the fourth, the Rebels continued to fight to complete the upset. Deans and Todd-Williams led the Rebels in the final frame, both reaching the double-figure mark for the game. Despite the duos best efforts, Ole Miss couldn’t piece together enough scoring runs to attempt a comeback over the top-ranked team in the nation in UCLA, falling 76-62.

Ole Miss’ Team 50 wrapped its season with its 12th Sweet 16 appearance in program history and a 22-11 overall record.