Rebel basketball hits the road Saturday as it heads to Baton Rouge for a bout with the LSU Tigers, Ole Miss’ third match in seven days.
The Rebels are in the midst of a four-game winless streak; their last win arriving Jan. 23 against the Crimson Tide. Head coach Andy Kennedy and his team are also still searching for their first road win this season.
The Rebels last played Tuesday night against the Missouri Tigers, losing 75-69 despite Terence Davis’ sixth 20-plus point game of the season. The Rebels conceded just four turnovers that night, their lowest this season.
The LSU Tigers also suffered a recent loss, dropping a 73-64 game to Florida in Gainesville on Wednesday night. The Tigers led through the first half and outrebounded the Gators 33-30 overall, but a poor second half would ultimately seal LSU’s fate.
The Rebels and Tigers have had very similar results throughout the season thus far. Ole Miss holds an overall record of 11-13, while LSU is 13-10. Both teams sit in the bottom half of the SEC with identical 4-7 records in conference play.
Last season, the two teams faced off at The Pavilion. The Tigers built a double-digit lead by halftime, but Davis scored a career-high 33 points, spurring an impressive comeback for the Rebels. With the game tied and six minutes left on the clock, a resilient Ole Miss defense allowed the Tigers just four more points through the rest of the game. When the final whistle blew, the score favored Ole Miss 96-76.
Through their first 24 games, the Rebels are averaging 77 points per game, while the Tigers have averaged 78 points per game over their first 23. Defensively, Ole Miss has LSU beat in rebounds per game, averaging 37.5 per game to the Tigers’ 33.3.
Come Saturday, the Ole Miss defense will need to keep a close eye on LSU guard Tremont Waters. Waters is a regular playmaker on the court, ranking third in the SEC for assists with 135 and averaging 5.9 per game. Waters also contributes 15 points per game and usually knocks down 2.1 3-pointers per game. Duop Reath could also cause problems for Kennedy’s men. Reath averages 13.7 points per game off a threatening 56 percent field-goal percentage.
On the other side of the court, Terence Davis and Deandre Burnett continue to lead the Rebels offensively. Both players have scored more than 330 points this season. Burnett averages 14.4 points per game, and Davis adds a respectable 13.8 points himself.
After scoring 11 points Tuesday night, Rebel shooting guard Markel Crawford is only four points away from reaching 1,000 points in his collegiate career. Crawford also tied his career high in steals Tuesday night with five.
Tipoff for the afternoon game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The game will be streamed live on ESPNU.
