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.