As the final buzzer sounded in No. 7 Ole Miss’s 75–61 upset loss to No. 10 South Dakota, Rebels center Shakira Austin found herself standing near midcourt, her hands having fallen to her knees with tears beginning to swell from her eyes. Austin, who transferred to the SEC school three years ago, led the program back to the NCAA tournament this season, its first appearance since 2007. But playing a Coyotes team making their fourth consecutive trip to the Big Dance, the weight of Friday’s circumstance proved too much to overcome.
“That’s not how I wanted to leave Ole Miss,” Austin said. “I mean it was just overwhelming. I just love my teammates and now I have to move on to the next chapter.”
Austin struggled in Friday’s defeat, sinking only three of her 16 field goals attempts. While the senior All-SEC first-team center hauled in 11 rebounds, her nine points marked her lowest output since Jan. 30. Ole Miss never led.
