The Ole Miss men’s basketball team pulled off a shocking upset against nationally ranked No. 10 Tennessee with a final score of 52-50 on Tuesday night.
“We played against such a tough and well-coached team,” head coach Kermit Davis said. “Down the stretch, we made some game-winning plays. It was just a whole group effort, and I’m just so happy to see this team taste that victory against a top-10 ranked team.”
Tennessee dropped in the Southeastern Conference standings after its loss to Ole Miss, and the team is now ranked at No. 6 in the conference. The Vols are 12-4 on the season with five wins and four losses in conference play. Ole Miss is currently ranked No. 9 in the SEC, going 9-8 so far this season with four wins and six losses in conference.
Ole Miss has its remarkable defense to thank for this win, yet again. The Volunteers are one of five teams to score 50 or fewer points against the Rebels this season. Tennessee’s defense is ranked No. 6 nationally and No. 1 in the SEC, while Ole Miss ranks at No. 28 nationally and No. 2 in the SEC.
The Rebels forced 17 turnovers and had six steals and four blocks to shut down the Volunteers. In addition, Ole Miss forced Tennessee to shoot 36% and held them to shooting 1-14 from the field in the final 13 minutes of play.
Ole Miss’s 1-3-1 defense has proven to be a huge asset for the Rebels, especially late in the game. The Rebels kept the Volunteers without a field goal for 12 minutes and 27 seconds late in the second half. The Rebels shot 64% from the free-throw line, 39% from the field and outscored the Volunteers 30-10 in the paint.
Senior Devontae Shuler once again led the Rebels with 15 points and seven rebounds. Senior Romello White showed up big time for the Rebels with 14 points, six rebounds and one assist. Sophomore Luis Rodriguez put on a show with an incredible dunk and contributed seven points, six rebounds and four assists.
Junior Jarkel Joiner, who was honored at the beginning of the game for scoring his 1,000th career point, scored seven points and had one rebound. Junior Robert Allen, who earned another start for the Rebels, had four points, four rebounds and one assist.
The Rebels will now prepare for their matchup against the Auburn Tigers on Feb. 6. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m., and the game will air on ESPN2.
