Kris Smith rarely misses an Ole Miss women’s basketball game. The Rebels’ Friday game against Vanderbilt would have been no exception.

“I still would have gone,” the 2022 Ole Miss alum and Atlanta resident said. “I try anytime I can get a chance to go to Oxford. I literally will leave Atlanta, whatever time it is. I will make that four-hour drive and I will go home after the game.”

Smith’s trip to support her alma mater was cut in half as inclement weather brought the meeting of Southeastern Conference teams to Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. The SEC hosted the Rebels on Friday and will do so again as Ole Miss faces Auburn at 6 p.m. on Monday.

In each game, the Rebels appear as the home team.

“Oxford (Miss.) is in such horrible conditions right now and their university has closed until February 8,” said Tammy Wilson, SEC director of communications. “We needed to get the games played because they’re conference games. We obviously just reached out to the BJCC. They were kind enough to let us come in and host these two games here, so we’ve put them on.”

The conference leadership, based a few blocks east of the arena, gained some experience moving games around last minute during COVID.

“We did a lot of this during the pandemic, where we had to move some games,” Wilson said. “We had a little bit of a background in this. Obviously, we did not think Oxford was gonna get hit as bad as they did.

“It’s kind of what we do in the conference office,” she said. “When something happens, we figure it out. That’s what we did.”

Rebels coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin opened her postgame press conference with gratitude.

“I want to start by thanking the (SEC) for allowing us to make a home here in Birmingham,” she said. “You guys have been hospitable and it means a lot.

“Honestly, yall, I’ve been crying all week,” the coach continued. “My heart just hurts for the people in our community. It’s been hard to sit there and watch them hurt.” Thousands of people in and around Oxford are still without power after storms that swept the country earlier this week took down trees and power lines and even left residents with no water.

Curt Bloom called the action of the game Friday as it was streamed via the SEC Network. It was not until two days before that he learned the Ole Miss women would precede a pair of Homewood High School games on his announcing schedule.

“This was a wonderful crowd,” Bloom said. “I hope they made money in concessions because I know it was free (admission). But it was wonderful. You could also tell the caliber and the quality of the teams, how good they are. These are two of the top 20 teams and they played like it.”

The Commodores entered the game ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 poll. Ole Miss was ranked No. 17 but pulled off an 83-75 upset.

Following the game, Smith said she might stick around Birmingham for the Rebels’ Monday contest with unranked Auburn, which will take place at the BJCC at 6 p.m. and is free to attend.

“I’m looking at my schedule,” she said. “If not, I might leave and come back, just based on travel. … We’re supposed to get some inclement weather in Atlanta this weekend.”

Willie Mays Tournament Moved

Closer to home, the schedule of the second Willie Mays Open Baseball Tournament has “evolved” because of weather and facility availability.

The tournament was to have been played at least partly at historic Rickwood Field. Concerns about possible damage to the playing surface because of subfreezing temperatures took that venue out of the lineup.

The tournament is now a 3-day event with five teams. It opened Friday with host Miles College sweeping a doubleheader with Philander Smith 14-1 in seven innings and 14-2 in five innings. Clark Atlanta downed Claftin 8-2 in Friday’s other game.

After no play on Saturday, the tournament resumes Sunday at Roy W. Johnson Jr. Baseball Field at Lawson State Community College. Claftin faces Stillman at 11 a.m. and then takes on Philander Smith at 1:45 p.m. The nightcap has Miles playing Stillman at 3:45 p.m.

Miles and Stillman conclude the tournament at 1 p.m. Monday at Rickwood Field.