Ole Miss opened conference play on Saturday hoping to establish rhythm and begin to rewrite the story of their season, but prolonged offensive droughts and defensive breakdowns proved costly as the Rebels dropped the game 86-70 to Oklahoma.
The Rebels (8-6, 0-1 SEC) showed encouraging offense early, getting the lead early in the first half. However, a more than seven-minute scoring drought allowed Oklahoma to seize momentum and build a lead Ole Miss was unable to overcome.
“We had stretches where we played the right way, but you can’t afford lapses like that in this league,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said. “When you go that long without scoring, especially on the road, it puts a lot of pressure on everything else you’re trying to do.”
Ole Miss trailed by nine at halftime after Oklahoma closed the half strongly. Despite making several pushes in the second half the Rebels could not string together enough stops or sustained offense to mount a serious comeback.
Perhaps the lone bright spot for Ole Miss was freshman guard Patton Pinkins, scoring a career-high 25 points off the bench. Pinkins shot 9 of 11 from the field and connected on four 3-pointers, providing a spark when the Rebels struggled to find offense.
“Patton gave us a big lift,” Beard said. “He played with confidence, took good shots and competed. That’s what we need from everyone, especially when we’re trying to find consistency.”
Malik Dia added 17 points for Ole Miss, while Mohamed Wague recorded a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Sooners. The Rebels were unable to slow Oklahoma’s efficient offense, despite another good rebounding effort.
The Sooners (11-3, 1-0 SEC) were led by Xzayvier Brown, who scored 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 4 of 5 from three. Shooting 52% from the field and capitalizing on defensive miscues, particularly in transition, the Sooners were able to overcome anything Ole Miss could throw at them.
Despite briefly cutting into the Sooner’s lead early in the second half, the Rebels were unable to gain momentum thanks to timely shooting from the Oklahoma offense.
“Execution matters,” Beard said. “Against a team like that, if you’re not locked in defensively or you miss assignments, they make you pay.”
Outside of Pinkins the Rebels were unable to really get their offense going, which led to them being unable to control the tempo of the game. Ole Miss played the entire second half in catchup mode because of turnovers and defensive lapses.
“We’ll learn from this,” Beard said. “It’s one game, but it shows how thin the margin is in this league. We have to be sharper, tougher and more connected.”
Ole Miss returns to Oxford looking to try to find consistency and rhythm as SEC play continues, hosting Arkansas this Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 8 P.M. in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion. Stay here for the latest coverage on everything Rebel related!
