In a stunning upset, the No. 15 seed Ole Miss Rebels (15-19, 4-14 SEC) edged out the No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide with a thrilling 80-79 victory, securing their place in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament.
“In big moments, you have to be who you are,” remarked coach Chris Beard, emphasizing the importance of staying true to oneself during high-pressure situations.
The Rebels showcased a balanced offense with four players scoring in double figures:
- AJ Storr: 17 points
- Ilia Kamardine: 16 points
- Malik Dia: 14 points
- Patton Pinkins: 13 points
From the very start, Ole Miss came out strong, launching a 6-0 run that featured two three-pointers from Dia. Alabama quickly responded with two threes of their own, narrowing the gap to 8-6 in favor of Ole Miss.
Leading Alabama’s charge was Labaron Philon, who netted an impressive 28 points, supported by Aden Holloway with another 18. Dia made an immediate impact for Ole Miss, scoring ten points within the first six minutes.
The Rebels surged ahead to a nine-point lead at 25-16 with just over eleven minutes left in the first half. They extended this advantage to eleven points at 31-20 before Alabama managed to get back on track with a two-pointer.
As halftime approached, Alabama went on an impressive run that cut Ole Miss’s lead down to just five points at 43-38. However, the Rebels headed into halftime maintaining a slight edge at 47-41—remarkably not having trailed for over two and a half games.
In the second half, Ole Miss pushed their lead to as much as thirteen points at 63-50 with just over thirteen minutes remaining. A solid defensive effort from the Rebels stifled Alabama’s shooting; they failed to make a field goal in the final five minutes of play.
Despite Ole Miss’s commanding presence on the court, Alabama mounted a comeback effort and narrowed it down to just four points at 66-62 after going on a quick seven-point run with under nine minutes left.
With only one minute remaining in regulation, Alabama closed in further on Ole Miss’s lead at 80-75. A late foul allowed them to score again, bringing it down to just one point at an intense finish—80-79.
Ole Miss’s defense proved crucial throughout; they held Alabama to just nine successful three-pointers out of twenty-nine attempts (31%).
“That was our game plan,” Pinkins said confidently. “They attempt, like, 45 three’s and try to make the shot tough twos, and that was the game plan, and the coaches did a great job.”
Having now played three complete games without relinquishing their lead in Nashville, Ole Miss is riding high into their next challenge.
Looking ahead, they will face either No. 11 seed Oklahoma or No.3 Arkansas in Saturday’s semifinals of the SEC Tournament. The game is set for tipoff at 2:30 p.m., Rebels can catch all the action live on ESPN.
