Frizzell, Ole Miss fall short
It wasn’t the homecoming that Ole Miss junior guard Gracie Frizzell wanted Thursday afternoon.
Frizzell, who played high school basketball at Central Arkansas Christian, had 11 points, 3 rebounds and 1 steal Thursday in Ole Miss’ second-round game at the SEC Women’s Tournament, but the Rebels lost to Arkansas 72-61 at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock.
“I wish we could’ve won,” Frizzell said. “I take it as not just coming home, but thinking of it as an away game. My family is my team.
“Being home in Little Rock is good, because my family and friends came out and supported the Rebs, but I wish we could’ve won.”
It was Frizzell’s first college game in central Arkansas as a Rebel. Frizzell was part of three state tournament teams at CAC before suffering an ACL injury during her senior year. She redshirted in the 2011-2012 season but has been a key contributor to the Rebels over the past three seasons.
“I’m glad she’s an Ole Miss Rebel,” Ole Miss Coach Matt Insell said of Frizzell, who entered Thursday’s game averaging 6.6 points per game. “She’s as good of a shooter as there is. We have to get more Little Rock girls over here to Ole Miss. I think that’s going to happen, too.”
Arkansas Coach Jimmy Dykes credited guards McKinley Bostad and Kelsey Brooks for their defensive effort against Frizzell.
“Frizzell can really shoot that basketball,” Dykes said. “I know she had 11 points today, but they made her work for everything she got and did a really good job of covering her.”