Shea Ralph tossed as Vanderbilt falls flat in SEC quarterfinals

"I wasn't trying to get kicked out. I also think that at that time, what I said was warranted, and the action that I took was warranted, and I'll stand behind that. You want to kick me out for it, they can kick me out. What I do love is the fight that my team showed. There's only so many ways you can say something over and over again, so I said it differently, and I got kicked out, which is fine."

"As coaches, we just want consistency from our team, from our staff, from everybody that's involved in the game. That's all I'm looking for. I thought she was fouled. She was being held, and there's only so many ways you can respond to that. What I know about her is that she is going to fight to win the game."

Fifth-ranked Vanderbilt fell to Ole Miss 89-78 in the SEC women's basketball tournament quarterfinals. Ole Miss dominated defensively throughout most of the game, building a lead as large as 32 points and frustrating SEC Player of the Year Mikayla Blakes. Early in the fourth quarter, coach Shea Ralph was ejected after verbally protesting officials when Blakes was called for her fourth foul. Ralph stated her actions were warranted and emphasized her desire for consistency in officiating. Despite a slow start with one point on 0-of-10 shooting in the first half, Blakes finished with 24 points, scoring 13 in the fourth quarter to spark a Vanderbilt comeback. The loss likely eliminates Vanderbilt's chances at securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

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